ORDINANCE NO. 260299
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Sponsor: Mayor Quinton Lucas
Authorizing the Director of the Health Department to expend $75,000.00 from Fund 2000-501905 to support the establishment and operation of an Intimate Partner Violence Intervention (IPVI) Focused Deterrence Program to reduce domestic violence in Kansas City.
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WHEREAS, violent crime continues to pose a serious threat to the health, safety, and well-being of Kansas City residents, and community violence is recognized by public health authorities as a preventable public health crisis requiring coordinated intervention; and
WHEREAS, in 2025, Kansas City experienced a significant increase in domestic violence-related homicides, including incidents involving offenders with no prior criminal history, underscoring the need for intervention strategies that address individuals across the full spectrum of risk, not solely those already identified as highest risk; and
WHEREAS, focused deterrence is a nationally recognized, evidence-based violence reduction strategy that combines direct outreach to individuals at the highest risk of committing or becoming victims of violent crime, a clear and consistent message that further violence will result in swift and certain legal consequences, and the simultaneous offer of social services, community support, and meaningful life opportunities, and IPVI focused deterrence applies this framework specifically to intimate partner violence by directly communicating with individuals who cause harm, establishing clear and credible consequences for future violence, and connecting both victims and offenders to coordinated support services; and
WHEREAS, the IPVI focused deterrence model has been successfully implemented in cities and counties across the country resulting in measurable reductions in domestic violence-related crime; and
WHEREAS, investment in an IPVI Focused Deterrence program would support early intervention with first-time and lower-level offenders, reduce repeat harm among chronic offenders, prevent escalation into chronic or lethal violence, and strengthen a coordinated, prevention-focused response to intimate partner violence in Kansas City;
WHEREAS, the IPVI Focused Deterrence program will operate through a coordinated partnership among the City, Kansas City Police Department, Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, community-based organizations, and social service providers; and
WHEREAS, providing this funding will ensure that the City and its partners have in place a structured IPVI Focused Deterrence program capable of directly engaging the individuals most likely to be involved in domestic violence-related incidents, connecting them to services, and delivering a unified deterrence message while supporting measurable outcomes; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That the Director of the Health Department is hereby authorized to expend the sum of $75,000.00 from funds previously appropriated in Fund 2000-501905 for the purpose of supporting the establishment and operation of an IPVI Focused Deterrence Program to reduce domestic violence-related crime in Kansas City, in compliance with all applicable state and federal law.
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I hereby certify that there is a balance, otherwise unencumbered, to the credit of the appropriation to which the foregoing expenditure is to be charged, and a cash balance, otherwise unencumbered, in the treasury, to the credit of the fund from which payment is to be made, each sufficient to meet the obligation hereby incurred.
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William Choi
Interim Director of Finance
Approved as to form:
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Joseph A. Guarino
Senior Associate City Attorney