Kansas

MMIP Series | KSHB 41 I-Team discovers scant interest among Kansas police in MMIP training

Published

6 months ago

May 16, 2024

MMIP Series | KSHB 41 I-Team discovers scant interest among Kansas police in MMIP training

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Over the last two years, the KSHB 41 I-Team has investigated the MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous People) crisis in our community.

It’s a national movement that highlights how Indigenous people, particularly women, face much higher rates of violence, including assault, rape, murder, and trafficking.

The I-Team covered the disappearance of Quana Big Spring, a Belton teenager, and the Independence cold case murder of Lakota Renville.

Those are two examples of how the crisis is playing out in the Kansas City area.

This is a place the public may not think is part of this nationwide epidemic.

During our investigation, we also learned Kansas lawmakers passed a bill in 2021 that offers free training to law enforcement officers on how to investigate MMIP cases, as they have certain cultural and jurisdictional aspects that set them apart.

“It was Kansas’ first step for MMIP,” Kansas Representative Christina Haswood said, a Democrat from Lawrence who co-sponsored the bill and helped it pass.

The I-Team wanted to find out just how many law enforcement agencies actually took that step.

We reached out to every one of them, more than 300 police departments and sheriff’s offices across the state. We asked how many were aware of the MMIP training and had taken the class.

The class is voluntary, not mandatory.

37 agencies responded. 27 of those were aware of the training and nine agencies had already taken it, which is 3%.

Our findings shocked and disappointed Haswood, who is one of the only Native American lawmakers in the state.

“And you said you reached out to everyone?” Haswood said when we handed her our findings. The data was compiled onto a spreadsheet.

“That really gets me fired up because we can see with your findings that there’s such a big gap of communication and education, that there’s definitely work that needs to be done,” she said.

Fighting for this training is personal to her. Many of her constituents in Lawrence are Native and represent tribal nations across the country.

“It really angers me that we come together, and we say, ‘Here are the resources that you ask [for] and can hopefully get you elevated on your knowledge,’” Haswood said. “But when it’s given voluntarily, the resources are not being used.”

Haswood says there’s a perception at the statehouse that Native Americans don’t exist. She says she has spent a lot of time explaining to other lawmakers that Native Americans don’t just live on reservations and that Native issues are still relevant today.

Another perception the I-Team noticed was multiple law enforcement agencies saying the MMIP training isn’t a high priority because they’re not close to a reservation or they don’t know of any MMIP cases.

“This is an issue that even though you might not see every day with your own eyes, it is happening, and if we continue to operate like this, when it does happen, that we don’t have a system that’s robust enough to help Indigenous peoples,” Haswood said.

Kansas is home to four tribal nations: Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas, Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska, and Sac and Fox Nation of Missouri in Kansas and Nebraska.

Although MMIP cases don’t happen as frequently in Kansas as in other part of the U.S., the issue still hits close to home for many families.

We met some of those families last spring when we visited the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation for a MMIW walk and ceremony.

“The MMIW movement is new, but the issues are not,” one speaker said.

Much of the movement focuses on Indigenous women, which is what the “W” stands for, though it was expanded to include all Indigenous people.

We talked to sisters Jessi and Rachelle Blacksmith, who run the MMIP chapter of northeast Kansas. They’re advocating for their brother, Willie Blacksmith, who was murdered in July 2022.

“We’re trying to make something good out of what happened to our brother to help others,” Rachelle said.

They learned about the state’s MMIP training and took it themselves. They say it would be beneficial to all police agencies.

“What are you supposed to do if a murder happens? This tells you what to do, this goes through the steps [of] what to do,” Jessi said.

Haswood says its about livelihoods and knowing that government systems have their back.

She hopes she can add more teeth to the training by making sure all agencies are aware of the training and set aside an hour to take it, and make it mandatory, instead of voluntary.

“I’ll continue to fight for this issue,” Haswood said.

Only one law enforcement agency, the Galena police department, out of the 325 in the state, said they’d make the training mandatory.

Several agencies said they’d take it or would consider taking it after we reached out.

The Gardner police department took the training the day we called.

During our investigation, we contacted Salina police about the training and a 2019 MMIP case in their jurisdiction. We later received a call from one of the department’s detectives, who told us he spent four hours investigating that 2019 case after we reached out. He discovered the missing man was an unclaimed body in Columbia, Missouri.

Although it’s a sad ending, the man’s daughter, who had spent years contacting morgues across the country, told us she was grateful to have closure and finally know what happened to her dad.

We shared that story with Haswood, who said the training is “literally helping people.”

Anyone can take the online training by going to the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center page.

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Kansas State Coaches Searching For Answers After Two-Game Skid

Published

9 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Kansas State Coaches Searching For Answers After Two-Game Skid

A season that began with national championship aspirations is now in danger of ending in disappointment.

Three weeks ago, the Kansas State Wildcats controlled their hopes of making the Big 12 title game and possibly the College Football Playoff. Now, they are just searching for another victory to salvage a once promising season.

“Obviously a disappointing performance on Saturday,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said about Saturday’s loss to Arizona State. “We had a long staff meeting yesterday and talked about a lot of things. We looked at offense, defense and special teams. I don’t think anybody could point a finger at anybody because I don’t think any unit played up to its capabilities.”

The Wildcats were in the driver’s seat after a victory against rival Kansas Oct. 26 in the annual Sunflower State Showdown. They were 7-1 with wins against Oklahoma State and Colorado, the lone blemish coming against BYU.

The victory against the Jayhawks was followed by two upset losses to Houston and the Sun Devils, which all but ended their chances of making the Big 12 championship game.

With two games left against Cincinnati and Iowa State, the Wildcats are basically playing for a more appealing bowl game.

“Our job this week is to right the ship, because we have another opportunity,” Klieman said. “I want our seniors to have an opportunity to go out well.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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No. 16 Colorado heads to Kansas searching for crucial win for Big 12 title game aspirations

Published

16 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

No. 16 Colorado heads to Kansas searching for crucial win for Big 12 title game aspirations

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No. 16 Colorado heads to Arrowhead Stadium to face Kansas on Saturday knowing full well where it stands in the Big 12 picture.

Beat the Jayhawks and conference bottom-dweller Oklahoma State and the Buffaloes will be playing for the title. Lose to Kansas and everything changes: They would need Arizona State and Iowa State to lose at least one more game, or BYU to lose its last two, and that would take their College Football Playoff aspirations out of their own hands.

Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders doesn’t sound as if there is any extra pressure on this weekend.

“Look at me, man. Do I look like I subscribe to pressure or do I look like I apply it?” Sanders asked. “We apply pressure.”

In the new-look and jumbled Big 12, the Buffaloes (8-2, 6-1) are tied in the standings with the Cougars, but they are just a game ahead of Arizona State and Iowa State — and curiously enough, did not play any of the three. And while the Jayhawks (4-6, 3-4) are well off the pace, by virtue of a dizzying stretch of last-second losses, they might be playing the best of anyone.

Kansas knocked off then-No. 17 Iowa State before dealing then-No. 6 BYU its first loss on the road last weekend. The back-to-back wins over ranked teams are a first in school history, and the Jayhawks would love to make it three straight on Saturday.

“They have not given up, regardless of what their record may state,” Sanders said. “The last two weeks, they’ve knocked some people off their feet. It’s going to be a tremendous task for us. (Lance Leipold) is going to have those guys ready to play. We’re going to be in an environment that’s not conducive to us being successful in Kansas City.”

Colorado wide receiver Drelon Miller scores a touchdown after catching a pass against Utah in the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

Arrowhead Stadium

Kansas, which is playing its home finale Saturday, has been playing Big 12 games at Arrowhead Stadium while their on-campus stadium is renovated. Sanders played there once with the Falcons, returning kickoffs in a 14-3 loss on Sept. 1, 1991. He also played at neighboring Kauffman Stadium, home of the Royals, going 3 for 13 in three games with the Yankees in 1990.

“I’m not as young as I once were,” Sanders said, “but I look forward to going there.”

Senior day

Kansas will be sending off 30 seniors in its home finale Saturday, many of whom were instrumental in taking the program from a winless laughingstock in 2020 to bowl games each of the past two seasons. Leipold is wary about focusing too much on the emotional sendoff when there is still a game to be played, and two wins needed to reach a third straight bowl game.

“It becomes an emotional drain, especially right before kickoff sometimes, so hopefully that’ll be a small positive of not being in Lawrence,” Leipold said. “I don’t want to take anything away from the guys, but if we can balance those things with what the day is, hopefully we can make a special day.”

Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter, front, jokes with teammates as... — Colorado wide receiver Travis Hunter, front, jokes with teammates as he waits with quarterback Shedeur Sanders to do a television interview after an NCAA college football game against Utah Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski

Award watch

Sanders interrupted a question this week after being reminded of how he said earlier this season that his son and quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, and two-way Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter would be top picks in the upcoming NFL draft.

“A lot of people didn’t believe me, huh? Remember I said Travis and Shedeur have the opportunity (at) one and two?” he said. “Everybody just pulled out a double-barrel shotgun and shot at me when I said that, right? Now it’s all coming to light.”

Sanders has thrown 27 touchdown passes, one away from Sefo Liufau’s school record. Hunter is coming off a game in which the cornerback and wide receiver played 132 snaps — he has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine TDs, along with three picks.

Fast friends

Sanders and Leipold might at first seem like the most unlikely of buddies, given one was a Hall of Fame player and two-sport star while the other fought his way through the coaching ranks, beginning at Division III school Wisconsin-Whitewater. Yet when the Buffaloes joined the Big 12, Leipold reached out to Sanders and they became fast friends.

“I love him to life. He’s a friend,” Sanders said. “For these guys to, on their own account, reach out to me, to show me love and respect is tremendous.”

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New high-rise apartment building coming to north side of downtown Kansas City

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

New high-rise apartment building coming to north side of downtown Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City’s skyline is getting bigger. Starting next year, construction of a new high-rise apartment building will begin on the north side of downtown.

The 25-story, 385-foot-tall tower will be built at 800 Grand Avenue, where a parking garage currently sits. The developer, BR Companies, is excited to break ground in the KC market.

“You have to have the right environment for investment,” said Ryan Sullivan, BR Companies’ Chief Development Officer. “If you think about Kansas City and you’re playing bingo, you yell out ‘Bingo!’ pretty quickly.”

The tower is expected to have more than 300 units, as well as 24,000 square feet of retail space and parking. Construction is expected to begin in the second half of 2025.

“The city has a vision to make Grand ‘grand,’” Sullivan said. “It’s a civil project they’ve been envisioning for a while now.”