Kansas City homicides are down 12% from last year

Kansas City homicides are down 12% compared with the same point last year, according to the Kansas City Police Department’s assessment of the city’s homicide total.

What has changed

The comparison covers the same point in the previous year. The reported change is a 12% decrease in homicides.

What police say

The Kansas City Police Department believes it knows what is behind the decline. The department’s explanation is central to understanding whether the change reflects a specific policing or community factor, but that explanation is not identified here.

What to keep in mind

A year-to-year homicide comparison describes the change between two periods. It does not, by itself, establish why the number changed or whether the same pattern will continue.

The homicide count remains a public-safety measure that can change as cases are classified and investigated. KCPD’s explanation will provide the context for the 12% decrease when the department states it publicly.