A Different Approach
When addressing the problem of crime in an urban environment, it’s common to hear politicians and city officials promise they will get “tough on crime” or institute a “zero-tolerance” policy. New York City famously took this approach during the 1990s when police began cracking down on minor offenses such as graffiti and panhandling in an attempt to control the overall crime rate.
But what happens when officers on the ground find they aren’t having success with such a policy? That’s exactly what happened in Kansas City’s Westside neighborhood. Police officers there tried a zero-tolerance approach to crime, but were discouraged by the limited results, including diminished communication between law enforcement and residents.
Another concern in the community was the explosion of the Mexican day laborer population. In certain areas of the city, like the intersection of Southwest Boulevard and Summit Street, groups of migrant workers would gather waiting to be picked up for a day of work. While many of the immigrants were interested only in finding work, the sheer numbers became unmanageable for local police.
When crackdowns and roundups coordinated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) didn’t work, Officers Matt Tomasic and Chato Villalobos of the Kansas City Police Department decided to take a different approach. The Nine Network Homeland documentary team partnered with our sister station in Kansas City, KCPT, to bring this storyline into the Homeland series. KCPT Producer Randy Mason talked to Officer Tomasic about their new strategy, and he breaks down the situation in this Homeland Vignette clip:
In the clip, you also heard from Lynda Callon, CEO and Executive Director of the Westside Community Action Network (CAN) Center. In addition to starting the Day Laborer program, the CAN Center facilitates neighborhood clean-ups, walking events and back-to-school rallies where area children receive school supplies.
According to Callon, the effect of the CAN Center, along with police cooperation, has been very positive for the community. In a statement on the CAN Center Web site, she said the Westside area went from being a place where residents were distrustful of law enforcement, to a place where community members routinely talk to officers and are more willing to cooperate with investigations. The Day Laborer program serves a minimum of 2000 people every month and crime has decreased over 50 percent, according to Callon.
What are your thoughts on the CAN Center and KCPD’s nontraditional approach? Neighborhood crime has been reduced, but critics would say this is at the expense of not cooperating in the enforcement of Federal immigration law. Should local law enforcement continue to involve ICE or should they focus on community policing efforts?
In the next Homeland Vignette, we will talk more about the CAN Center with Officer Villalobos.
Video edited by Dustin Karrer. Footage shot for Homeland documentary series.
Category: Enforcement
