Are more metal detectors, security checkpoints needed to make Westport safe?
Stakeholders in Westport should take every reasonable measure to prevent late-night violent crime in the popular entertainment district. More checkpoints and additional metal detectors may be the answer to make the area safer for revelers and restaurant-goers.
When the Kansas City Council approved the privatization of some Westport sidewalks, clearing the way for security checkpoints and weapons screenings, legitimate concerns about possible civil rights violations and racial profiling were raised. But city officials and Westport business owners have taken needed steps to ensure that enforcement is consistent and fair.
Fatal shootings and a string of other violent acts spurred the decision to privatize some Westport sidewalks and begin screening for weapons. State law prohibits police from screening for concealed weapons on public streets or sidewalks.
While it’s too soon to tell whether crime will decrease in the long-term, a safe atmosphere is essential for Westport to prosper. The threat of violent crime had become a deterrent for some would-be patrons who made the decision to avoid the entertainment district on the weekends.
The new security measures should help ensure that Westport is a safe destination, day or night. And a full spring and summer season with these policies in place should give merchants a better idea of their effectiveness.
The entertainment district tested its new security screenings last September. Limited data showed a slight decrease in violence and in calls for service.
During that 30-day period, police responded to two non-deadly shootings, nine assaults, and 124 calls for service. No complaints were filed about anyone being singled out because of their race.
In 2017, officers responded to three non-fatal shootings, 13 assaults and 131 service calls during the same time frame.
Civil rights observers have been used at each entry point to monitor the process and to report any violations to the city’s Human Relations Department. The oversight should help alleviate fears that people of color could be subjected to discriminatory practices.
“Information is posted at all entrances so that patrons will know how and where to file a complaint if needed, but we did not receive any complaints,” city spokesman Chris Hernandez said.
The improved security measures are scheduled to continue through October. Weapons and large metal objects are prohibited.
Franklin Kimbrough, executive director of the Westport Regional Business League, told The Star the aim is to keep patrons as safe as possible.
Last year’s rollout was marred by long security lines that stretched for blocks. Impatient customers left instead of waiting up to an hour to enter the district.
But merchants now have taken steps to avoid that same frustrating scenario. Heightened security unveiled over the weekend included six checkpoints, two more than in 2018. The number of walk-through metal detectors also has doubled from four last year to eight.
The goal is to get people inside the district safely, not keep them out, said Brett Allred, owner of Johnny Kaw’s and Johnny Kaw’s Yard Bar and other Westport properties.
Allred paid for three walk-through metal detectors and the labor associated with running them.
Welcoming people of all colors to Westport to spend money and safely have fun is good for area businesses and the city’s bottom line. For now at least, checkpoints and security screenings in the district are the most effective strategy to ensure that everyone who ventures to Westport can enjoy a night on the town.
This story was originally published April 10, 2019 at 11:17 AM.