Crime, then code violations. Independence hotel used as residence by some is shut down
Jorome Johnson needed a place to live when he moved into the Truman Inn with his three young children this summer.
But Johnson had to become a witness to crime in exchange for that affordable room key.
In the two months he stayed in the inn off Interstate 70 and Noland Road in Independence, Johnson recalled seeing drugs, violence and prostitution within the hotel walls.
There was a shooting five doors down from where he and his kids slept, the youngest an infant, the oldest 4.
“A lot of us were there because it was cheaper and we could afford it, you know,” said Johnson, 26.
Police were called dozens of times in search of criminals on the property, sometimes by the hotel’s manager.
But Johnson and other guests using the hotel as a longer-term residence were put on the street after the last police response to the hotel on Sept. 15.
During a sweep that resulted in 15 arrests, police also noticed “numerous code enforcement violations,” Meg Lewis, a spokeswoman for the city of Independence, said in a statement Tuesday.
Police contacted the city and inspectors discovered the inn’s owner failed to apply for and receive a business license, voiding the hotel’s health permits, which included lodging, pool, food and drink permits, she added.
Some hotel staff also reported code violations to the city, Lewis said. These included unsanitary conditions, unresolved property maintenance violations and unpermitted construction.
110 police calls
According to records provided by the Independence Police Department, officers responded to 110 incidents at the hotel’s address between June 1 and Sept. 17.
This includes nine reports of stolen vehicles, one armed robbery, nine assault calls and an Aug. 8 shooting in which no one was injured.
There were more than two dozen calls on disturbances and more than a dozen for suspicious people and activities in that same time period.
Ken Patel, manager of the Truman Inn, estimated he made about 50 of the more than 100 calls to police from his hotel. He said the crime problem was one he inherited when he took over as manager in June.
“I have spent every day, almost 15, 16 hours myself to clean up this area, but I need help from the police,” he said.
Pulas Sheth, owner of the Super 8 across the street, said the nights have been much quieter since the Truman Inn was shut down.
From his perspective, the change of management occurred around the same time as the increase in criminal activity.
In turn, he said his guests and staff were uncomfortable by the consistent police lights flashing across the street.
“Right now it is so peaceful,” he said Thursday. “I mean we don’t want somebody to close their business, but if they get the right clientele then everybody will grow. His business will be better, same as ours.”
A police sweep and 15 arrests
On Sept. 15, shortly before the hotel closed, police came by and checked everyone’s identification, Patel said.
Detectives arrested approximately 15 people during the sweep, according to Lewis, the city spokeswoman. This included people with felony warrants who had been living at the hotel.
The sweep was made “due to a noticeably significant increase in criminal activity and calls for service at the Truman Inn, including a shooting, stolen vehicles, and illegal drug distribution,” Lewis said in a statement.
Officer John Syme, a spokesman for Independence police, said such sweeps have generally been effective.
“Some hotels and motels become known among persons committing crimes to overlook and tolerate such behavior,” he said in an email. “When they get on our radar from calls for service, complaints from the neighborhood or even tips from those frequenting the establishments, we devise a plan to investigate and make arrests.”
Patel said the police sweep should have happened sooner. In response to the code violations, he said the city never gave him a warning. Patel also said he didn’t realize that if a business license expires, the health department license expires along with it.
Since the hotel closed, the new owner has started the application process for a business license, Lewis said.
Patel plans to renovate the hotel to attract different clientele. He hopes he won’t call police as often.
Relocating residents
Johnson, the father of the three young children, was one of the only Truman Inn guests who had a car when they were told to relocate. He helped move a few other families out and across the road to the Countryside Suites.
As he stood outside their new temporary home in late September, he gestured to some women gathered on the sidewalk out front of the hotel whom he helped. One woman was in a wheelchair.
“Those ladies right there, I used to see them just sitting there out in the front and it kind of broke my heart that they had to get up and move,” Johnson said.
Patel estimated about 36 rooms were occupied when they shut down the hotel. He said he lost money giving refunds for the rooms. Some of his customers had been residents there for three or four years and were upset they were being kicked out on such short notice.
Johnson said while the hotel they’re at now is safer, it’s also more expensive and doesn’t have as flexible a payment plan. This leaves Johnson and others in a difficult situation.
On Sept. 21, he was concerned about coming up with the money for another night at the hotel.
“I might have to swallow my pride and go find a family member that will let us come stay,” he said at the time. But he said having kids complicated that, too.
When reached again Wednesday afternoon, Johnson said he’s been picking up shifts on his off days at Wendy’s and working odd jobs to help afford the hotel cost while also looking for more permanent housing.
He and his children were still staying at the Countryside Suites, but money was running out. His plans to stay with family fell through. The brakes on his vehicle went out last week. He doesn’t know where they’ll go next.
“I mean at this point, I just leave it up to God,” he said.
The Star’s Katie Moore contributed reporting.
This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
