Since the previous post, I have been on the phone for 2 days with community leaders (which include UHS) and police officers, as well as Fox 4 News. Then I worked a turnaround into a double at a nearby hospital, so I haven't been able to post the results of my investigation until now. Since I been very vocal about the "relative" safety of the community where UHS is located, having been a resident for 20+ years, I wanted to be sure I wasn't misleading anyone, as the previous poster has "suggested." So I have taken time out of my extremely busy schedule to contact all the people and officials "in the know" and the results have convinced me that this is indeed a great place to live, so I am stepping up my efforts to purchase a home in the area. For those interested (and concerned as to whether they will have to worry about whether they will be risking their lives when they walk out to their cars, most of which are parked outside the "oasis,")the results are as follows:
First I called Fox 4 News. They insisted they did not know anything about a special saying that the intersections around UHS being among the "worst and dangerous" in the city. (What they DID run will be clarified later.)
Then I called UHS Student Affairs Office. The young woman I talked to said that the only problem they have had in the 4 years she has worked there, is that when the students walk across the street to the 7-11 or Scimeca's (renowned for its Italian sausage), twice it was reported that a bum asked for money. She strongly concurred that the school would not give out a list of nearby residences for students if they believed it was dangerous, and invited incoming students to call if they were concerned.
Next I called the Kansas City Action Line and they gave me a number to the KC Police Dept, Central Patrol Division, which covers the area around UHS. I talked to a Sgt. Hayes who said that the only real problems around UHS and the surrounding area these days was petty theft (keep your car locked and don't leave your laptop or purse lying on the seat with the window open) and prostitution (that one's a no-brainer.)
Then I talked to Sue who is the contact person for the East Patrol Citizens' Crusade Against Crime (the East Patrol takes up where Central Patrol leaves off; it also covers the Northeast where a lot of UHS students live.) She, along with all previous contacts, was appalled that this misinformation was being spread on the internet. She goes to monthly meetings presented by officers in East Patrol, and no such thing as 12R34Y is saying has really been the case. The last drive-by shooting IN THE AREA was >3 yrs ago and it was ~20 blocks east and ~20 blocks south of UHS (the TRUE ghetto, as I have described elsewhere in this forum.) It was also specifically drug-related, not a "random act of violence." She recommended I call Kathy at the Northeast Crime Watch, which covers the area around UHS, so I did.
Kathy confirmed everything all the others up to this point had said, stating that the biggest problems for some years have been auto theft and people stealing things out of cars. Almost all of these are due to people leaving their car keys in and not locking their cars. She also stated that a large Vietnamese auto theft ring operating out of the Northeast was just broken. Guess where they were stealing cars from? You guessed it -- Johnson County. (You might say JoCo can rest a little easier because of the diligence of the citizens and police dept. in the Northeast - what a dichotomy!) She is a single woman living in this area for 12+ years and states she has never been afraid since she is not involved in drugs or prostitution.
Per Kathy's recommendation, I then talked to the contact person for Cops on the Beat (COB) which is a part of the Northeast Mobile Crime Watch serving the Central Patrol Division, Kathleen. Kathleen also concurred with the others, but she seemed the most knowledgeable and stated that although there was possibly some gang "congregating," the police and community were keeping very close tabs and there has been no gang activity for many years. (By the way, per the police officers, this is a problem at all the malls as well, including the ones in Johnson County.) She also pointed out there have been driveby shootings in Northtown (across the river) and as is typical, everyone in KC confuses the 2 areas. (I wondered why we were getting so many gunshot victims from the northland: I work in the ICU which gets all the gunshots at the hospital in Northtown and when Truman closes.) She gave me the names and numbers of the officers "on the beat" that are REALLY in the know and following is the result of those conversations.
Major Zimmerman is the main contact person for the Northeast. She is part of the Central Patrol Division and has been active in the community for some time. She was very upset that this misinformation was being spread (as were all the others, heretofore) and she gave my name and number to the police officers *directly* involved in the area surrounding UHS, who subsequently called me.
Sgt. Soligo is the Crime Prevention Officer for the Central Patrol Division. She was very adamant that this area has vastly improved over what it was 15 years ago. She again affirmed that the major crime problem in the Northeast is petty theft and auto theft (where isn't it?) She stressed her willingness to come to the school and discuss how to keep your valuables safe. She also encouraged incoming UHS students to call her at 816-759-6328 and she will be happy to talk to you personally. She is also the crime analyst officer, and she strongly feels that this area is as safe as any other to live. (Including Johnson County.)
Then Officer Shriver called me, and he is one of the officers that is actually part of the "gang unit" described by 12R34Y, and here is the real story. The gov't gave a grant to provide officers to straighten out the projects, Riverview and Guinotte. (These were bequeathed to this community by the "white flight" mentality as evidenced by 12R34Y.) Riverview is the projects north and directly adjacent to UHS. There are 4 full-time officers whose job it is to PREVENT gang activity and they are doing a bang-up job doing it. (So-to-speak!)
Officer Shriver has been "riding" this beat for ~15 years and he gave me some interesting insight. One thing he asked me, if this was such a dangerous neighborhood, why are ~20 students jogging in/through the area on a regular basis - almost every day? Also, he has a written copy of the Fox 4 News special on his desk, and he said that although it starts out with the "sensational," it is actually a very positive report as to the incredible improvements that have been made in 15 years. He is willing to show that report to anyone who wants to see it. He also said that during those 15 years he has never had women randomly knifed like the ones just reported in Johnson County - not in the projects, nor anywhere in or around the Northeast.
Here is a short re-cap of what he and his fellow officers have done through the "Weed and Seed" program grants:
One-strike you're out is strictly enforced.
Safety Committee with citizen participation (of the projects)
Welfare-to-work programs: if people don't work they have to do SOMETHING constuctive - like certified volunteer and/or community service. (Sounds like medschool candidates!) This is a Clinton-era thing and a big help.
Also, Major Zimmerman and Sgt. Soligo told me that Officer Shriver and the others working with him "on the beat" have been awarded all kinds of awards for the work they have done with the youth of these projects. Officer Shriver gave me his beaper # and would love incoming UHS students to call (I'm assuming when you're in town since it's his beeper) it is:
816-346-3891
He ESPECIALLY wants 12R34Y to call him as he is anxious to set him straight on the REAL scoop, from someone who literally has his finger on the pulse of what is going on around UHS!
It was interesting to me that the closer I got to people actually (directly!) involved with the "nitty-gritty" of the area, the more upset they were that this misinformation was being pandered here. The police officers specifically stated that what 12R34Y said was an "untruth" (a blatant lie?) All of the police and community leaders are particularly fond of and supportive where UHS students are concerned. Some of the older residents will only allow UHS students to rent from them.
Every single person I have talked to concurred that what we are dealing with here is the typical "Johnson County hysteria" that we are SO used to (and sick of!) in KCK, KCMO and even Clay and Platte Counties up north.
Please be aware that I have NEVER said, or even intimated that this is a "white picket-fenced" community, and in all fairness, I do understand why people coming from a sterile, suburban area might experience massive "culture shock" when visiting UHS for the first time. You will see the Somalians in their native dress, the Arabs in theirs, the Sudanese and their extremely dark African skin. You will see the typical African-American "jiving" on the street corners around UHS, and occasional "bum" begging money. You will also see prostitutes on the Avenue in front of the school, as I have said in other threads. If these things are offensive and/or scary to you, I strongly suggest you not go into medicine as all the med schools and residencies are situated in inner cities, and even ghettos. And since UHS is especially involved in administering health and healing in this community....well, you decide; because no matter where you end up practicing in the long run, you WILL end up risking your life to learn your craft.
But if you dig a little deeper, you will also see a community that has been fighting to recover itself from the devastation left by "white flight," which some feel is a bigger blight on the larger community than the ghetto itself - and winning.
If you come to UHS, what you will NOT see, is drive-by shootings, and you do not need to fear being raped or murdered when you walk out to your car. If drive-by shootings were really occuring, it would hardly matter if a security guard were escorting you, anyway. And Johnson County Community College (and all the colleges, hospitals and large corporations) have security escorts available as well. This used to be a dangerous area, maybe 15 yrs ago or so according to Officer Shriver and all the others I talked to, but now it is probably not as dangerous as the Westport/Plaza area, and not really any more dangerous than Johnson County and Northland or anywhere else in the world. Not one person I talked to felt that UHS students had anything to fear by living/working/going to school here.
It may FEEL threatening at first if you're not used to being in a culturally mixed neighborhood, but you'll find that around almost every med school in the nation, and you'd better get used to it if you plan on doing a residency anywhere. I don't know of any residency that is not in a large, multicultural urban center. There may be some, but very few I imagine.
Again, both Sgt. Soligo and Officer Shriver asked me to give out their phone #'s and encourage anyone to call them. They will be happy to talk to you all.
Mompremed
I'm just so weary of the "attitude" toward this area that seems to be perpetuated on these boards, and from people who don't even know the area! 
