KC Mayor Quinton Lucas says liquor regulators should investigate bars after shootings
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said Wednesday he wants city regulators to investigate every shooting that originates from a bar to ensure establishments are not contributing to violence by disobeying city ordinances.
Such investigations, he said, could help identify and address problem locations.
Lucas spoke about that suggestion days after a shooting in the Westport entertainment district killed one person and injured four others early Saturday morning. He included it with other ideas to improve security and safety in Westport after a meeting with the executive director of the Westport Regional Business League and a member of the league.
“As humans we should care about shootings but as an economic model it’s important to know that we want this area to be healthy and survive,” Lucas said, citing the tax income from Westport and the district’s historical significance.
Lucas said investigations from the city’s Regulated Industries department, which oversees liquor licenses, could help the city identify problem establishments and act to ensure they are following city ordinances or suspend liquor licenses, Lucas said.
“Much like you address recidivist criminals, you want to address consistent levels of wrongdoing,” Lucas said. “If you see procedures that aren’t being followed consistently, if there’s misconduct existing consistently, if we have a high number of police calls consistently then that’s the type of work we want to do.”
Lucas said he plans to be in Westport Friday night and will be available to speak with community members who join him.
Saturday shooting
Saturday’s shooting on Mill Street at Westport Road, police said, originated from a fight inside the Throw Back bar. Individuals involved in the altercation allegedly left the bar and began shooting from their car at others who were involved.
One person has been charged but police said they are seeking additional suspects.
That was the latest of many violent events in Westport. Shootings in the district in previous years prompted the creation of security checkpoints in 2018. Two more checkpoints were added last year, for a total of six.
Those checkpoints are not active in the winter and were not active during Saturday. The shooting also occurred on a street that is not restricted by the checkpoints.
At Wednesday’s meeting various ideas for making the bar district safer were discussed, Lucas said. Those included the creation of a pedestrian mall in Westport, addition of more lighting and security presence along Mill Street and in parking garages and staggering closing times for bars.
“I think, frankly, you can’t just push out the problem into the neighborhoods, you need to make sure you address the problem long-term,” Lucas said. “What we can’t do is say you’re just safe in one bar and then when you head out there may be challenges for you.”
Lucas also said the city needs to do more to promote events such as the Westport art show, which brings a different crowd to the bar district.
“That is something I think we can do to really create a new environment and atmosphere in Westport,” he said.
Lucas said any such measures would be dependent on available resources and funding.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 5:55 PM.
