This downtown KC parking lot sparked security updates for the area. Here’s why
A single surface parking lot just outside Kansas City’s Power and Light entertainment district has been the site of several recent shootings. Now, it’s the focus of security updates to downtown, according to the mayor’s office.
On Aug. 24, Kane Taddese, 24, and John Alfaro, 18, were killed in the surface lot, located on East 13th Street and Grand Boulevard, after a fight where Taddese is seen on video being punched and kicked. On July 11, two men allegedly fired into an apartment building from the lot after hearing gunshots nearby and observing a green laser on one man’s daughter.
Since last September, there have been 10 calls made to police from the corner of 13th and Grand, which could include the sidewalk adjacent to the downtown lot, according to police spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina.
The shootings led to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas calling for stricter parking lot security, while legislation proposing stricter regulations for surface parking lots in the city’s entertainment districts makes its way through the Finance, Governance, and Public Safety Committee.
In response to the shootings, Lucas’s office announced a collaboration between the owner of the lot, real estate firm Copaken Brooks, and the city to increase security efforts downtown. The mayor’s spokesperson said the collaboration is in alignment with an ordinance passed in January, which set aside $1 million to deploy off-duty officers and deputies to entertainment districts.
This ordinance is in addition to KCPD’s entertainment district plan, which was implemented last November, which sent additional officers and units to entertainment districts. The plan is still in full effect, according to police spokesperson Capt. Jake Becchina, with targeted initiatives for street racing and illegal sideshows.
“The police department began a more robust entertainment district response several months ago, but it was essentially a continuation of what began in November,” police spokesperson Becchina said in a statement.
Kansas City police deployed additional officers to the downtown district, with more officers on foot patrol and more patrols. Copaken Brooks, which has owned the lot for approximately 20 years, plans to install gates and hire extra security to secure the lot.
The firm has its own security force, armed and unarmed, that roam its numerous downtown properties, according to Copaken Brooks principal Jon Copaken. Copaken told The Star he wasn’t sure what patrol hours were in effect at the lot during the shootings.
“Everybody’s vigilance can’t prevent everything, but everybody’s vigilance to make sure these types of things don’t happen is always on the radar,” Brooks said. “Security, safety patrolling, all these things we’re talking about have been going on for years.”
The real estate firm has recently enhanced their security measures, their statement said, by having increased security patrols, new barriers to secure the lot, and upgrading the security system. The company also added more lighting throughout the lot, and expanded their mobile surveillance.
Downtown Council looks for security solutions
The Downtown Council, which is also included in the collaboration, created a task force of public and private officials just before the Aug. 24 shooting to increase security in the area, according to council chair Gib Kerr.
The task force has been pushing for items like increased officer patrols, the temporary jail that the city is considering, and raising funds to purchase utility task vehicles (UTVs) for police to patrol effectively downtown.
The council recently had to end its contract in August with local security company, Titan Security, due to budget cuts, according to council executive director Sean O’Byrne. The security officers patrolled businesses along Grand Boulevard.
O’Byrne credits the Downtown Community Improvement District for helping create a safe environment, but noted an increase in “bad activity” on Grand Boulevard, which he chalks up to vacant, deteriorating buildings, like the old Federal Reserve building at 925 Grand, problematic businesses, like liquor stores, and unregulated bus stops.
The council is working with business owners and city regulators to find solutions to these issues and maintain a peaceful downtown.
“I think that we’re close. I think that there’s a lot of things that have gone wrong, and I think there’s a lot of things that are going to go right,” O’Byrne said. “We’re going to push on the going right side of the equation and make it as an environment that you feel comfortable walking up and down the Grand Boulevard.”
This story was originally published September 20, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
