KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After her mother was attacked and robbed on Wednesday morning, one woman says that she’s rattled and upset.
“She’s really mad also, more than anything,” Leeze said.
“But like this should not have happened, and it’s extremely disappointing.”
The Kansas City Police Department confirmed they responded to a robbery at Ward Parkway Center on Wednesday morning, saying that the victim was “confronted by an unknown suspect who used physical force to take items from the victim.”
“He shoved her aggressively twice, took her purse, her phone and got in his getaway car and he was gone. And that was it,” Leeze said.
It’s not the only robbery to have happened near Ward Parkway Center recently.
Over the weekend, another robbery occurred at the shopping center. In the past month, KCPD has responded to 11 instances of theft or property crime and one assault. Leeze says the Ward Parkway Center, as well as other destinations around town, have felt less and less safe.
“I should not have to worry about my mom going to our grocery store that we all go to all the time,” she said.
“All three of these places are trying to build and boom and grow and build, you know, residences and other awesome restaurants and small businesses, whether they be local or they be chains and they should thrive. And we should feel safe going to all of these places. And we don’t.”
She says she’s at the center several times a week but sees limited security on the property.
“I think that I’ve seen maybe a car here and there. I certainly don’t see it every time I go there,” she said.
FOX4 was there for nearly an hour on Thursday and saw one hired security vehicle, but no additional security personnel, vehicles, or any law enforcement officers.
Leeze says that more of a physical presence would bring her peace of mind at Ward Parkway Center and other spots around the city.
“We need more physical presence. This should not be an issue,” she said.
“And as we all know, when there is more physical presence of security or actual police officers, whoever it may be, things like this don’t happen.”
“I shouldn’t have to worry about getting my kid out of the car like, is someone over my shoulder?” she said.
“I want to walk into, you know, any store over at Ward Parkway and see that cop standing there. I mean, that makes me feel safer. It makes my kids feel better, too.”
Kansas City Police confirmed that their investigations into the two robberies have been assigned to detectives and are ongoing.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
