History Of Crime In Kansas City

Human beings are known for their capacity for greatness: both of compassion and cruelty. Each civilization and each city has had its battles between the two halves, and Kansas City, Missouri is no exception. While for the most part it is a sparkling suburban city of forested streets and display fountains, in some places at some points in time there has been a rot underneath the gloss. From mob bosses wrapping informants in concrete and heat resistant tape to modern gang activity, this article will chronicle the city's struggle with its criminal underbelly.

Civil War Period

The American Civil War was a conflict that pitted family members against one another, spawning blood feuds between friends and neighbors that had once, not so long ago, lent each other everything from flour to sheet metal crimpers with equanimity. This conflict began early in Kansas City, as the neighboring state of Missouri was to be allowed to choose whether it would become a free state or a slave state, prompting pitched battles between the anti-slavery free-soilers in Kansas and pro-slavery border ruffians in Missouri, who launched their campaigns from Kansas City. The border ruffians lost and Kansas became a free state shortly before the war began.

Post War Period

With the Civil War won by the Union and ex-Confederates left in a state of fuming anger that could have powered a custom lead casting mill, there arose Jesse James and his band of outlaws. Guerilla fighters during the war, the James Gang turned to bank and highway robbery as a means of enriching themselves. Despite robbing several sites in Kansas City the Kansas City media portrayed him as a Robin Hood-like folk heroes, conveniently ignoring the fact that his raids often resulted in murder and the funds were never donated to any cause other than supporting themselves.

The Twentieth Century

Prohibition in the United States aimed to put an end to alcohol and the corrugated plastic containers it was made in. There were numerous underground movements to thwart it, including the one led by Democrat Tom "Boss" Pendergast in Kansas City. It was the launch of organized crime in the city and would result in a massacre at union station and numerous shootouts with police, most notably the one involving Bonnie and Clyde. The Kansas City Mob was at war over the gambling influence in the city in the 1970s until police eventually caught up to and jailed their leaders.

Crime Today

Today gang wars aren't fought over who gets the contract for city hydro excavation of the river, rather over territory and drugs. According to FBI crime statistics, Kansas City is the 21st worst city for crime with a population over 400,000. The city, however, is not a dangerous one overall because the majority of violent crimes take place in the largely abandoned inner core of the city and even those statistics are dropping because of downtown revitalization efforts. Because of this phenomenon, the surrounding suburbs of Kansas City are rated among the safest in the nation.