After 2 KCPD officers shot, Gov. Mike Parson sends prayers. But KC needs more than that

We all join Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas in his heartbreak and disgust over the violence that’s so out of control that three kids were killed here last week. One of them, a 4-year-old who had survived heart surgery, was shot in his own big-boy bed, during a drive-by shooting. Two 12-year-olds shot in another drive-by survived. And two Kansas City police officers were shot on a single, terrible day.

Lucas was right to ask Missouri Gov. Mike Parson to call a special session. The mayor keeps speaking out about this epidemic of gun violence and has said repeatedly that he should be held personally accountable: “Earlier this week we failed a four-year-old and his family,” he wrote on Facebook on Thursday. “Today we failed and I failed our officers and their families...While we build community trust, we also must redouble efforts to hold accountable those who terrorize our community and who have taken too many lives. I’m heartbroken and disgusted by what our fellow Kansas Citians and our officers confront each day. We won’t tolerate lawlessness.”

I failed? His refreshingly old-fashioned, buck-stops-here willingness to accept responsibility could not be more different from Parson’s persistent refusal to take any measure of culpability, even for the results of his own decisions. But Lucas can’t turn this around on his own. Where are Parson and the other elected officials?

The governor, let’s not forget, already went back on one public promise to Lucas to back some modest gun reform. After the officers were shot, Parson tweeted that he and his wife were praying for them, along with #BackTheBlue. Does that mean he’ll finally help keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them?

And what about our U.S. Senators? As chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt could help us treat gun violence as the public health issue that it is. As chairman of the Department of Justice appropriations subcommittee, Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran could, too. We are on track to set a record for homicides this year — 101 already, versus 68 at this time last year — and could really use the help.

Violent crime has increased dramatically under Police Chief Rick Smith, who ended the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, a program of “focused deterrence” that was making a real difference. And the loosening of the state’s gun laws has resulted in more gun violence.

In comments to reporters, Smith seemed to blame the shootings of the two officers on critics of police brutality following the murder of George Floyd: “Some of this is the negative narrative on law enforcement, and I’m trying to bite my tongue here, but it’s frustrating.”

He also said the department needs more funding and more cooperation from witnesses.

It’s hard to see how the man who’d been waving a gun around at a McDonald’s, who critically wounded one of the officers who was chasing him and was then was himself shot dead, was responding to a “negative narrative on law enforcement.”

Same for the alleged wallet-snatcher who shot the officer chasing him.

“This is not the time for politics; it is the time for awareness,” Smith said. Yes, and maybe even for some self-awareness.

Anyone who thinks that the way to address police brutality is with brutality against police is flat wrong. That’s not what happened here, though; these were not political shootings.

An officer in critical condition after being shot in the head does, however, show the critical condition of our city. And that we have too many guns.

As Lucas said on Twitter, “The women and men of our department are dedicated to this city. Always have been. Always will be. We owe them our prayers tonight and our thanks and our resolve — all of us — to call out those who are terrorizing so many in our community.”

That’s true, and we do. But will Parson, Moran, Blunt and others do more than send thoughts and prayers? Some sensible gun laws would help the police a lot.

This story was originally published July 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.