Checkpoints hurting Waldo and Brookside in Kansas City

 

Checkpoints are causing problems with club owners and restaurant owners in Waldo and Brookside, two midtown Kansas City restaurant and bar districts.

Checkpoints set up routinely at 77th and Wornall are seemingly targeting the blossoming Waldo area specifically.  According to a local business owner in the Waldo area, the checkpoint at 77th and Wornall is positioned directly in the middle of the Waldo restaurant and bar district, being just south of the busy intersection at 75th and Wornall.  We asked the business owner (who wished to remain anonymous) if they thought that the new checkpoint location was a result of the recent success in the Waldo bar area.  He had this to say:

"The checkpoint at 77th and Wornall is definitely a back-handed compliment to our latest success as a popular Kansas City hot spot.  The main problem is that there are 14 restaurants and bars in the Waldo area, and this checkpoint location sits right in the middle of them.  600 cars per hour travel down Wornall road, and at the last checkpoint they set up at 77th and Wornall only yielded 18 arrests.  This hardly warrants a checkpoint at this location.  Setting up checkpoints at or near The Power and Light District makes MUCH more sense, as they have 20 times the bar traffic that the Waldo restaurants and bars have combined.  for years the only location on Wornall that held sobriety checkpoints was near 94th and Wornall where Wornall meets Ward Parkway.  When they started setting up shop at 77th and Wornall they started hurting our business directly.  Besides the obvious negative effects, crowds thinning out, customers leaving but not coming in, there is another negative aspect that most don't realize; the checkpoints are affecting our waitstaff and kitchen employees and their income.  Once the news gets out that there is a checkpoint literally in our back yard, we invariably have to let a few servers go for the night who were counting on their weekend tips to pay the rent, etc.  We also have to cut our cooks early, leaving them short of the 40 hours that they are counting on to make ends meet.

To be fair to us and our employees, the police should notify local business owners at least two weeks in advance when they are planning on setting up the trap at 77th and Wornall.  The checkpoints aren't fooling or surprising anyone in this modern day of text messaging, facebook, and twitter.  Once the first person sees the checkpoint, they immediately notify all of their friends and the word actually spreads to US within minutes - that's how we know how well the texting, etc. works - because WE find out quickly.  Basically, there is no way to be sneaky about a checkpoint with today's technology, so they might as well notify us in advance so we can schedule less staff for the night of the checkpoint and try to make up their hours during the week prior."

Surely, the reason for the lack of checkpoints at The Power and Light is purely political, and it seems that the new checkpoint at 77th and Wornall is a tribute to the new success of the Waldo area, however the police should consider the livelihood of Waldo's work force and notify restaurant and club owners in advance so that they can make adjustments.

Missouri Police Announce More Sobriety Checkpoints

After stopping over 500 vehicles last Saturday night and making 18 arrests, Kansas City, MO police announced that they will continue to crack down on impaired driving this coming week.

Law enforcement announced that it will be out in full force along 1-70 this weekend, continuing the state’s “Heat is On” campaign to crack down on impaired drivers.

The number of arrests and drivers removed from the road from these future checkpoints should be an indicator to the effectiveness of the state’s campaign to prevent drinking and driving. The 18 arrests being made during the last checkpoint suggest that a high number of residents are willing to drive impaired despite the threat of sobriety checkpoints.

Announcing the sobriety checkpoints in advance could help convince impaired drivers to stay off the road, a proactive approach from the Kansas City, MO Police Department to cut back on drunk driving.

Missouri Program Helps Students Find Summer Jobs

Young Kansas City residents seeking a summer job may be in luck, as the State of Missouri has announced a state-funded program to provide paid internships for up to 4,800 people.

The jobs will focus on the construction, engineering and conservation industries, however positions in other fields will be available. The state program is for those from low-income families between the ages of 14 and 24.

In the wake of education budget cuts for the state of Missouri, Governer Nixon and Representative Cleaver should be commended on a program that helps young residents find summer jobs and earn some money. While boosting the economy, the program will help kids earn money and get a head start on their future.

SkillsUSA Conference Kicks Off This Week in Downtown Kansas City

For the 17^th year, Kansas City will host the SkillsUSA conference. More than 5,000 students are expected to attend the convention, which consists of high school, college and graduate students competing in various events.

About 15,000 people are expected to attend the event, which makes it the largest convention in Kansas City with an economic impact of about $15 million to the city.

Many streets in the downtown area will be closed this week to accommodate for the event, which will be held at Bartle Hall, Municipal Auditorium, Kemper Arena as well as other venues.

Those interested in learning more about SkillsUSA or the competition can learn more at: http://www.skillsusa.org/

Sobriety Checkpoints Attempt to Keep Drunk Drivers off the Road

Kansas City police continue to crack down on drunk driving through the use of sobriety checkpoints, as 18 impaired drivers were arrested Saturday night at a checkpoint on Wornall Road.

Over 500 vehicles were stopped from between 11 p.m. and 4. a.m., with drivers being arrested for impaired driving, possession of drugs and outstanding warrants.

This is another episode in the Kansas City police’s attempt to cut down on impaired driving, as random checkpoints have been one tool officers have used to cut down on drinking and driving. However, the amount of drivers arrested suggests that despite the known threat of a checkpoint, Kansas City citizens are still willing to drive home after drinking in the downtown area.

While sobriety checkpoints do remove impaired drivers from the road, it is important for police to take more proactive measures to help prevent drunk driving to begin with. If citizens knew of sobriety checkpoints before hand, it could be a measure to help convince them to take a cab or find another ride home. Drivers may still drive and find an alternative route around the checkpoint, but police need to take as many measures as they can to prevent impaired drivers from getting behind the wheel to start. Whether sobriety checkpoints and their consequences will have a long-term effect on the number of Kansas City residents who drive impaired or is simply a method of removing drunk drivers from the road remains to be seen.