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| BY GREG WALTERS |
On August 7th Raytown
voters will decide the fate of three tax increase packages. We will not belabor
the fine details of those tax increases, because, as Paul told me when I sat
down to type. “Greg, you’ve already explained the taxes enough”. Still, we do
need to know what this story is about so here are some very quick reference
points about the proposed tax increases:
- An increase of 187.5% to the real and personal property tax levies.
- The creation of a two cent per gallon city sales tax on gasoline.
- The creation of a 2.5% sales tax on internet purchases made by Raytown residents.
All three of the taxes have one thing in
common. They will dramatically affect the spending habits of many Raytowners.
Some members of the Board of Aldermen
are beginning to wonder if the path chosen is the best path for Raytown
taxpayers. Their concern is the city’s history of promises made and later
forgotten of the intent of tax increases.
Historically speaking they have a valid point.
Consider the following taxes, where
the city revenue the created was supposed to go, and, where it ended up.
TRANSPORTATION TAX: The city
transportation tax was supposed to be earmarked for overlay and repair of city
streets. In reality, part of the tax revenue has ended up paying for the ATA
bus service that serves Raytown three times a week. The tax is also subject to
the 350 Live TIF (commonly known as the Walmart TIF), which captures an
estimated 30% of the tax to pay down the debt obligation of the TIF.
PUBLIC SAFETY TAX: Most readers will
recognize this as the tax that was supposed to hire additional police officers.
No point in belaboring the point on that subject. This tax is also subject to
an estimated 30% lug to pay off the debt obligation of the Walmart TIF.
PARK TAX / STORM
SEWER TAX:
In 2010 voters in Raytown approved a sales tax increase which was supposed to
be “split” between parks and storm sewer needs. From 2010 to 2015 – 100% of the
tax went to parks. In 2015 the Board of Aldermen agreed to a split of
approximately 70% or parks and 30% for storm sewer flood protection. It may
seem repetitive, but this sales tax is also hit by the estimated 30% obligation
to pay off the Walmart TIF bonds.
ANIMAL CONTROL PET
LICENSE FEE:
This tax was created in 2008 to help pay the cost of animal control
enforcement. The promise was that Animal Control would operate extended hours
and on the weekends, particularly during the summer. That “deal” lasted about
one year before Animal Control quit operating on weekends. At its last meeting,
the Board of Aldermen doubled the fee for warm blooded animals in Raytown.
If you are interested
. .
. take
some time to visit the Raytown Public Library and browse through the archives
of the Raytown Post and Raytown News Tribune. You will find promises for
curbside pickup of trash, a free annual trash pickup, and free ambulance
service for Raytown residents.
To borrow the lyrics of a popular song of my generation, all of these promises were like dust in the wind. Made in earnest and soon forgotten.
To borrow the lyrics of a popular song of my generation, all of these promises were like dust in the wind. Made in earnest and soon forgotten.
Financing Raytown's Future
Two
Aldermen believe there may be a better way to finance Raytown's future. They have suggested looking at
General Obligation Bonds to fund the re-building of Raytown’s infrastructure.
And by infrastructure they are very clear, they mean the streets our homes are
built on.
Recently elected Mayor Protem Ryan
Myers originally brought the idea up to the Board of Aldermen when tax
increases were first discussed last January. According to Myers, Mayor
McDonough, aided by Ward 2 Alderman Jason Greene, quickly ended the discussion.
“I think it was a mistake not to explore the option at that time. There
was plenty of time to come up with a game plan for a potential bond measure,
and it was never explored,” said Myers”.
“Municipal General Obligation Bonds can be structured as a continuing
source of income to guarantee a bullet-proof plan to re-build streets and add
streetlights in our neighborhoods,” continued Myers.
He has a valid point. General
Obligation (GO) bonds are not subject to TIF obligations. GO Bonds are also
protected by sources outside of city control, namely the bond holders and the
Missouri State Bank Laws. Any city official trying to move the funds to other
purposes would be in very hot water with
bond holders and state officials.
Ward 5 Alderman Bonnaye Mims also
believes that General Obligation Bonds may be a safer bet for Raytown
Taxpayers. “It gives taxpayers an iron-clad promise the money will be spent
as it is promised,”
said Mims.
The Property Tax
Increase on the August ballot is subject to inflation and increased property taxes. General Obligation Bonds
are not.
“Jackson County
re-assesses property values every two years. That re-assessment translates
often translates to increased property taxes every two years,” continued Mims.
Some in Raytown fret that if the
proposed Property, Gasoline and Internet Sales Taxes do not pass that Raytown
is in trouble financially.
That may not be the case. By closing
the door on unpopular tax increases like proposed Gasoline,
Property, and Internet Sales, voters
may be opening the door to better ideas for consideration.
What do you think?
Take a moment to share your thoughts on the Blog portion of the Raytown Report.
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| BY PAUL LIVIUS |
E Mail . . . There is a tremendous amount
of email traffic created by elected officials in the performance of their elected positions.Raytown is no exception. Not all of the
Aldermen join in the back and forth, but all of them are well aware of it
because by law, what is a message for one is supposed to be shared all members
of the Board.
Some of our elected officials have used
their email accounts to “poll” other members on certain issues. I really do not
care for the practice. It leaves the impression of a meeting being held behind
closed doors. The practice of polling members of the Board of Aldermen has the
stench of a meeting held behind closed doors.
Since these emails are a matter of public record, they are supposed to be shared with a recipient named “public”. That record is available to anyone who wishes to view it at City Hall. It is the one safeguard allowed the public to make certain the business of city hall remains public. The important fact is that the public record is there for you.
Since these emails are a matter of public record, they are supposed to be shared with a recipient named “public”. That record is available to anyone who wishes to view it at City Hall. It is the one safeguard allowed the public to make certain the business of city hall remains public. The important fact is that the public record is there for you.
Walmart Blues . . . A growing number of Raytown citizens have been taking
advantage of the Public Comments section of the Raytown BOA meetings. The last meeting
had over one hour’s worth of comments from the public. Most of those speakers
are upset because they believe too much of the city’s resources are being given
to Walmart. They have expressed a belief that Walmart should reimburse the city
for the use of equipment and time. Last year the Kansas City Star reported 30%
of the calls for police service came from Walmart on 350 Highway.
The Paul Livius Report
The Board passed a resolution appointing
Derek Ward as a member of the Board of Aldermen, to fill the position of former
Alderman Eric Teeman until the next regularly scheduled municipal election in
April of 2019.
Michael Anderson told the Board union
organizers have descended on Raytown like carpet baggers of old. They are opportunists with no interest in the
people of Raytown. They will leave
Raytown full of broken promises. Regina
Reffit gave the history of the Raytown TIF.
Tony Jacobs said he attended the Park Board meeting and thought Dave
Turner was a great asset for Raytown. He
worked hard for the permanent easement for the trail. Kevin Kurts, with the
Mo/Kan Coalition for Worker Justice, claimed there were over 800 calls to 911
from Walmart last year. Anahi Topia said she has been very respectful to the
residents of Raytown. She complained no
one would listen to her. Randy Perez
said he was upset to be labeled an “outsider”.
The Board passed an ordinance
authorizing a contract for transit service with Kansas City Area Transportation
Authority in an amount not to exceed $58,418.
This is a demand-response public transportation service (Metro Service)
that the City has provided under contract with the KCATA since April 2001. The
City of Kansas City, Missouri also pays the same amount as the City of Raytown
to the KCATA for the Metro Bus Service as the service area extends beyond
Raytown to make connections with the rest of the KCATA network to the north and
to the south within Kansas City. The hours of operation for the Metro Service
are from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.; and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. The proposed agreement would maintain that level of service at
a cost of $58,418.00. The operational cost is within the amount budgeted by the
City for this service. This contract will be for a 12-month period that mirrors
the City’s budget year.
The Board heard the first reading of an
ordinance approving the final plat of Tidal Wave Auto Spa. Jason Roudebush, Olsson Associates, is
requesting approval of a final plat for Tidal Wave Auto Spa. Mr. Roudebush is
working on behalf of Tidal Wave Auto Spa and Block & Co. to plat the
existing parcels into one lot for the future carwash. The vacated right-of-way
(formerly 75th Street) is included in this one-lot subdivision as it will be
under the control and maintenance will be provided by the future owner of this
lot. The private drive has a 45’ Utility Easement and cross-access agreement
have been executed between all adjacent property owners. Additionally, the
existing curb cuts along Raytown Road and MO-350 will be removed and access
will be limited to the private drive. The proposed subdivision has one lot.
Public improvements include new sidewalks, curb and gutter, and resurfacing of
the private drive. Alderman Bill Van Buskirk made a motion to suspend the rules
and hear the second reading. The
ordinance passed.
The Board passed a resolution approving
the first amendment to the development agreement with TW Macon LLC relating to
public improvements within the city and state easements or rights-of-way around
10001 East 350 Highway. On November 7, 2017, the City of Raytown and TW Macon
LLC executed a development agreement regarding the construction of certain
public improvements necessary for the development of an automated car wash on
property located at the intersection of Raytown Road, 350 Highway, and 75th
Street within the City. In Section 17 of the Development Agreement, Conditions
Precedent, it states the Developer, or a related party, shall take title to the
Property by April 30, 2018. Due to matters outside of the Developer’s control,
the Developer has been delayed in their efforts to close and take title by
April 30, 2018. The First Amendment to the Development Agreement modifies
Section 17 so the Developer's obligations under this Agreement are specifically
conditioned upon Developer, or a related party, taking title to the Property on
or before October 31, 2018.
The Board passed a resolution
authorizing the acceptance of a permanent trail easement and a temporary
construction easement from Homer and Katie Radford in connection with the
Southwood Park Trail Design. The staff negotiated the permanent trail and
temporary construction easements necessary for the Southwood Park Trail Design.
The owners providing and donating the easements are Homer and Katie Radford.
Dave Turner told the Board this will be at the Southeast end of the Southwood Park
to the Bike Trail. It will be 0.42 mile
in length and will eventually tie in to all the parks.
71 comments:
I will not vote for ANY new taxes! You can't trust the people at city hall to use the monies collected to be used on the cities infrastructure. They have lied to us in the past. Maybe the bond idea would work (I don't know much how the bond deal would work) but the way it sounds our city officials wouldn't be able to get their "grubby little mitts" on the money.
If the personal property tax and the real estate tax passes, it will drive the small businesses out and the people of Raytown will have a harder time buying goods ANYWHERE! Enough is enough!!!!!!!
When families have financial issues, due to poor decisions or unforeseen circumstances, they buckle down and cut spending. Then, they look for ways to increase revenue. I think that has to happen here. In truth, the gas tax and the internet tax are a no brainer. Not sure why the blogowner is so extremely anti-tax? Tea party Republican? .20 tax per fill up is not going to discourage anyone from getting gas in Raytown. The internet tax will not hit seniors too hard as most do not internet shop. Once we bring in more revenue then we can issue bonds. But why are we talking about adding more debt without increasing revenue?
Things don’t cast the same as the did in the 80’s and 90’s. Keep depriving the city of revenue, one way or another, and the city will be belly up. Have there been management issues, sure. But you can’t continue to not pass taxes and expect the city to survive.
I will be voting for the taxes. If you want nice things you have to pay for them.
I hope the city takes this opportunity to have someone really go through "the books" to get an accurate account of where we stand. I don't trust what the prior financial director did.
who are the Gang of 5 aldermen? What is their end goal? How do they expect people to vote for a tax increase when they are pursuing their own agenda?
We can bicker for months on the best way to fund necessary services and infrastructure, but we are falling further behind every day.
"But you can’t continue to not pass taxes and expect the city to survive."
YA THINK? Amend, ameliorate, replace a couple aldermen, chief and mayor. We'll vote yes across the board. In our opinion, some of these people are and always have been incapable, unsuitable and unstable on a number of fronts. To pass tax increases with these entities in office would only equal more of the same.
Good on you, Ryan Myers and Bonnaye, for offering alternatives. Young Ryan especially. Keep it up with the ideas and enthusiasm. Just make sure to seek out as many people as possible to bounce your ideas off of.
We'll take a chance any day on youth, education, talent and enthusiasm up against what we're currently compelled to endure.
Then you need to find qualified candidates that will win. All of the people you speak of WON elections. Not like they were appointed, like any number of city administrators, finance directors etc. And what proof do you have the chief or any other elected official has done anything criminal?
9:19 am, I believe a lot of the hand-wringing and misinformation will go away if the city develops a spending plan and put that out to us.
I can’t believe what I saw on the news tonight. Young men brazenly robbed the Apple store on the plaza. What has our country turned into?
10:58 pm
I saw that too.
No one tried to stop them either. Didn't look like anybody ran after them to get a license plate. They looked pretty skinny. They could have been very easily been body slammed. It is dumb to have phones that are not attached by a security device anyway.
10:54
I think your right. People are ready to support the city financially, as long as there is a plan.
10:54-Yes! As long as I know how the city plans to spend our tax money, I can get behind a tax increase.
10:54, Yes! As long as I know how the city plans to spend our tax money, I can get behind a tax increase.
If you dont have a steady string of income...at least breaking even, what good is a bond issue? This blog is becoming more and more of just a mouth piece as opposed to giving unfilitered information.
Well let's look at the latest tackets since young Ryan has been elected as mayor pro-tem, now a couple of alderman (and guess who) have gone on a tyrant about what his duties are. Really, being inclusive, working with others, being involved in the community, etc.
How many alderman have you called to help resolve any concerns. I can count on several fingers. One only complains for his friends, one wants the city manager to handle issues between his neighbors. Oh, I know, I've seen one very involved and out in the community, and I even got a response from a issue in our neighborhood.
Of course we're not going to hear about any of this because she's not drinking their kool-aid. You may not like her, but she calls it like she see it and I was one who didn't vote for her. I will in the future. I'm tired of the name calling, slander and defamation. The secret group needs to stop. Everybody is watching Raytown.
I was watching the live videos and found some interesting dialogue: why can't we have a state audit to find out about why we don't have enough money. We've never stopped paying our taxes, safety taxes and yet we now have ran out of money. The only department that seemed to not be cooperative and asked for more money was Lynch and PD, even after learning that we were in trouble and looking at fines for not complying to balancing the budget. Instead they became nasty, very nasty and after looking at this new board, the ol tactics don't work anymore. The few aldermen and cronies from behind the scene that continues to carry the water is learning, "It's over, stop it."
You know what I learned about Raytown, new ideas are not a option. That's why we are dying. And the Mayor, who smiles in your face and sends his minion's to do his dirty work. Just watch the videos. New Alderman, keep up the good work and hope that you can bale us out before facing bankruptcy.
I hope the new Ward 5 guy can think for himself and not be persuaded by the old guards. Ya connect the dots of who is related to who.
I've lived here over 50 years and plan to call the new people and shed some history.
So how can you pay a bond payment when you have no revenue? Never heard this mentioned at a meeting and I watch them all. Gen. OP bond will not work and can't. Bottom line has to change period.
7:30 4/22 What the chief has done may not be criminal as we still have not had an investigation.
However, his actions last fall for extremely unethical.
We expect someone in that position to enforce the law, which would include NOT inviting criminals into our city.
We expect someone in that position to enforce the law, which would include NOT providing false information on time cards and when it does happen firing all parties for fraud.
We expect someone in that position to enforce the law, which would have them always presenting facts to support their position.
Need I or any citizens continue with the reason it is time our police chief resigns?
What proof do you have about time cards? Unless you have physical proof, just an off color accusation, unless you’re the democratic prosecutor in St. Louis for charging someone for invasion of privacy and not actually having the so called picture.
Reading this blog, I have to wonder if there’s something in the water? Lots of cranky people. Course, I always have always known this, which makes Raytown an interesting place to live. Let me sum up the problem, one group wants to solve our problems with taxes, and one side wants to borrow money. There. This is not that hard. Ok. One side is more supportive of the Mayor and the other side likes to stick their fingers in his eye. Ok. Still not that hard. One truth for certain, you can always count on politicians to screw things up! The solution to this cities problems is to raise revenue and do a bond issue. There, a simple fix. You gotta do both. Then we need to bring more businesses into Raytown.
How many times has the Mayor or Alderman Greene told us the city has no financial issues.
If that is the case why are they has not for one, but three tax increases, which is on top of the fees they just increased.
Typical lack of transparency and ability to manage!
7:01 pm haha, a good leader shoots straight with his people, even when it’s bad news. It’s called transparency. People left, but it wasn’t because Lynch was keep anything a secret. They had full disclosure. I admire him for being honest and doing right by his people.
10:54 PM—Other cities have put out a public campaign explaining how their tax initiatives on the ballot would be spent. Raytown has to do that, and not wait until the last minute.
I’d like to hear the plan for what the city wants to spend the proposed tax money. Then I can vote with that in mind.
Throwing Greene in there? He complained about the TIF and spending from day one. Stop this attack game anx making up versions of reality.
8:07 What problems?
I have heard nothing and neither have you unless you are hanging our with the Mayor and Greene on how that tax money is to be spent.
I have seen the board packets and the language that was approved for the ballot and no limits in it.
Am I too believe you all support more money for welfare if not why are you supporting any tax issues the city has.
10:22 If you believe Lynch is honest you must believe Bernard Madoff is a the most honest person to walk the earth.
Who recalls last fall and the Mayor saying once the lawsuit is behind us we can refinance the bonds.
Jump forward to the Mayor's state of the city address
Who recall the Mayor saying we are working on refinancing the bonds.
Who really thinks it takes this long!
Yes, the city wants more money, but will not refinance the bonds!
Yes, the city wants more money, but will not sue the school district!
More questions and less answers tells me we all need to VOTE NO on any tax increase from the city.
If Jim Lynch is so honest why didn't he respond to Alderman Ryan Myers proof that for sometime the police have only been issuing an average of two speeding tickets a day.
While you are at it why did the Mayor remove Alderman Ryan Myers for the tax committee was it punishment for comments against his old boss or was it proof we don't need the tax increase the Mayor wants.
If the Board of Alderman really want the three tax issues to pass they need to start steps to regain the faith of the public.
1.) Make an ordinance that no city vehicle will be used by any department and/or employee to earn money for the individual employee. Those employees in violation will losses 3 day without pay for 1st offense, a week for the 2nd offense and fired for the 3rd. The department head for any employee will be placed on notice for the 1st offense, 3 days without pay for the 2nd offense and a week for the 3rd and fired for the 4th offense for inability to manage and provide oversight of their department.
In the case the department head is an elected official "City Marshal" and "City Judge" the corresponding state agencies will be contacted for their commission to no longer be valid and removed from the bar based on their position as well as the county prosecutor contacted for charges to be processed.
The mayor and chief and several of the alderman just want you to vote yes and they will decide how the money is spent. The only way I will vote yes is if it for general obligation bonds.
Part 2 - The Board of Alderman to restore faith in the city of Raytown should and whereas they have all ready approve three ballot questions should bring forth the following:
Shall the Board of Alderman as allowed under section 79.050 the Board of Alderman change the position of city marshal to appointed chief of police?
This would solve the ongoing conflict and hostility the police are having not only against the members of the Board of Alderman, but also against other department heads.
It would eliminate the need to have an outside agency force the current elected city marshal out of office for these same conflicts and hostility as well as the misuse of public funds from time card manipulation and refusal to follow state law in regards to having a balanced budget without inviting criminals to our city and in-sighting fear in the the residence and business owners.
Part 3 - Board of Alderman restoring the faith in the city of Raytown.
Being the Board of Alderman is already paying for three ballot tax questions they should bring forth the following:
Shall the city of Raytown request once every 10 years a state audit from the Governor and State Auditor to ensure the city is following the letter of the law and acting ethical and morally with taxpayers money. With the 1st Audit to be request for completion prior to the opening day of candidate filing for the April 2019 city elections and the focus of that audit being the police deportment, EMS TIF Agreement. Under the TIF agreement to include that over payment was not made to the school district, the school district didn't have unfair representation on the TIF commission or other conflict of interest, validate that no employee was being paid by more than one entity for there review and requirements related to the project, the calculations allowed under law for collections of funds from other taxing entities, the deed to the properties, lack of development as outlined and ongoing justification of the assessed property values for those within the TIF district.
The Board of Alderman should hold several public meetings if approved by the voters to obtain other questions for the State Auditors Office to answer so we finally have a government third parties opinion on our city and how well it has been being managed.
Those are some great ideas and I hope our Alderman that don't read this blog take notice that the people are tired and what action.
Yes, getting the budget inline with what is required by the state was the first step, but several of the Alderman are no stepping away from the people.
I for one am tired of their smooth talk to try and make me feel good I want something done about the past and how it is impacting my tax dollars.
Or, everybody could just start doing their jobs and stop the game playing.
Part 1,2 and 3 of restoring faith,
that’s some real kookiness there...
All this discussion about game-playing, taxes, bonds, this or that, and until we’re passing the taxes, we’re just really kicking the can down the road. That will create other options for our city
The the person with the ideas, I don't know about you but I am voting "NO" on the tax questions.
I share several of your concerns and have a few others
I wouldn't invest in a company who cannot manage money and that is what we have with the way our city is ran.
The county won’t take a lot of state cases presented now. The Jackson county court system is a JOKE!
Correct me if I am wrong but a couple of weeks ago I think that I read that the board has contracted
with a company to look at our streets and tell the board which ones need help first. How much
money did that cost and would it have repaired one block?
Correct me if I am wrong but a couple of weeks ago I think that I read that the board has contracted
with a company to look at our streets and tell the board which ones need help first. How much
money did that cost and would it have repaired one block?
Just came back from Lee's Summit and drove on third st. looks like it had the cheap stuff applied
and it is rough.
It bears repeating:
So let's say I answer a posting on Craigslist and drive over to Independence and spend $1000 on a used zero turn mower. Would that be subject to the proposed "use tax"?
Looks like it to me.
Maybe that is why the proposed tax is written the way it is.
The wording seems all encompassing to me.
Pretty Crafty
why did alderman Ryan Myers pull his tax spreadsheet down from public view?
so now some people are talking about a bond issue (borrowing.) It was that way of thinking (no tax increases for the last 4 decades) that got us into this problem. And they want to continue? No good, if you ask me.
yet another reason for the city to come out with hard facts, how does these tax increases look to the average taxpayer, way ahead of time.
The street conditions in Raytown are horrific. The number of emergency repairs and sinkholes have been mounting. I think it was a very smart move to have them evaluated and develop a long range plan to priortize repairs based on that condition report. Been very impressed with the Public Works Director!
So Lee’s Summit uses same granite overlay on roads as Raytown. Oh and also has budget woes affecting public safety workers as well. Zona Rosa TIF project fails to make bond payments for 10th year in a row. Apparently Raytown’s budget issues aren’t alone.
Now that the Pd has put a press release on the facts at WalMart, what are you all going to complain about? Not the bastion of crime you all try to make people believe.
6:45 am
Myers pulled the tax spreadsheet because he was removed from the tax committee, that's what I think.
7:05 am,
Albert Einstein said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. Rejecting the tax initiatives for bonds is the same thing...insanity.
Zona Rosa is in KC Morth not Lee's Summit
Conflicting Interest - The Mike McDonough Experance
I think the poster knows where Zone Rosa is. Point being widespread community budget issues.
Yea Alderman Ryan Myers taking down his property tax spreadsheet reeks of taking my balls, bats, gloves and going home. Poor show of leadership and start to his term of Mayor Pro Tem in my opinion. Even if he did get removed from the sales tax committee.
5:37 where is the release and why is it not out for the general public.
Will the state auditor be validating what is in it?
Mr Greene,
When is the city going to refinance the bonds or did the bogus deal with your employer make sure that we never will see the light of day.
Time to be honest time for the truth!
Look at the pds Facebook page. It’s there, in black and white. And I doubt a state auditor will look at anything non-financial. And who says a state audit is needed or is going to happen? More dreamland fantasy?
I hope Ryan Myers runs for mayor.
Self thinker who is not in the police pocket book!
After the disturbing and unprofessional behavior of one too many police officers last fall I working to make right to work a constitutional amendment.
MO doesn't need corruption of police like those from FOP 50 messing up the image of our state
P-YEW! Some of the more provoking comments this week on this blog targeting a couple individuals reek of Unglued. The -stench-. Someone quick! Make them a "spreadsheet"! Their lives apparently depend upon it.
I agree, the city needs to give examples of tax increases for different values of homes, in real numbers. Reduce the "spin" that some people want to use, for their own agenda, just a thought.
Since people here were asking, here is the information that the police released 2 days ago, unedited, and in its entirety.
“There’s been a lot of talk about police activity at Walmart lately, so we wanted to share some statistics with you that might help give context to the discussion.
Fast Facts:
1. Calls for service are not limited to 911 calls by citizens but can be initiated by an officer.
2. Calls for service do not always require a response by an on-duty officer.
3. 3% of all calls for service for the entire city in 2017 occurred at Walmart.
4. 20% of all reported Part I property crimes for the entire city in 2017 occurred at Walmart.
From January 1st to December 31st, 2017, there were 737 calls for service (CFS) to Walmart at 10300 E 350 Hwy. This does not include EMS or other public agencies, only the Raytown Police Department. A CFS is simply an event that requires some type of police response. It can be created by a 911 or non-emergency call from a citizen or an officer can self-initiate an event, like a traffic stop. A CFS does not always mean that criminal activity is occurring. We respond to lots of things that aren’t necessarily criminal in nature, such as medical emergencies, mental health crises, or missing persons.
For Walmart specifically, the majority of the CFS at that location are generated by an off-duty officer because someone has been apprehended for shoplifting (or other criminal activity such as trespassing), but sometimes it’s for situations as simple as a child separated from their parents. There are several reasons why they create a CFS:
First, for officer safety reasons; creating a CFS lets the other officers and dispatchers know that the off-duty officer has a suspected shoplifter stopped, so they can assist if the person starts resisting arrest.
Secondly, our computer system cannot generate a report number without an associated CFS. So in order to document that shoplifting incident on a report, the off-duty officer needs a CFS so they in turn can get the report number. Many of these CFS are handled by the off-duty officer, but at times on-duty officers are called to assist.
737 calls is roughly 3% of the total for the entire city for the 2017 calendar year. 10% of all incident reports (365 of 3493 total) and 18% of all custodial arrests (321 of 1767 total) in 2017 came from Walmart. Again, the majority of these incidents were thefts. However, theft of any amount must be reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program as a larceny and counts against our Part I crime statistics. 20% of all reported 2017 Part I property crime (burglary, larceny, auto theft, or arson) for the entire city occurred at Walmart.
An important thing to keep in mind is that crime cannot happen in a vacuum. In order for a crime to occur, there MUST be an offender and a target (either a person or a thing) at the same location at the same time. Therefore, anywhere there is a large congregation of targets (again, people and/or things), crime will naturally follow. Think about all the people, objects, and cars at a place like Walmart. The same is true for places like department stores, strip malls, and apartment complexes or anywhere were there are large concentrations of people and things. While we don’t have any information on how active the Raytown Walmart is compared to other Walmart locations, we do know there have been numerous discussions in the media nationwide about police resources at these stores. This situation is not unique just to Raytown nor Walmart itself.
We’ll be doing a follow up post that explains more about officers working off-duty at several locations in Raytown, including Walmart, so be sure to follow us on social media so you don’t miss out.
Chief Jim Lynch”
Thanks to the police department for clearing the air with objective statistics
I like how the police were able to produce the CORRECT numbers without lowering themselves down in the muck with Walmart and the union. Way to stay impartial!
This town is slowly going to die unless something changes, soon. Minimal business income, certain citizens not wanting tax increases etc etc. glad my time is limited.
Mr. Aziere's employer....I believe Mr. Greene was in college when Mr. Aziere voted for tat TIFF
Why be on a tax advocate committee when you don't advocate for it? Sems logical.
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