The problem

• Prospect Park had become one of Kansas City, Missouri’s most popular open-air drug markets and was plagued by drug dealing, prostitution, and homelessness, all of which threatened the safety of the nearby residents and discouraged residential and commercial development.

The strategy

• With organizational expertise and funding from CSI, the Twelfth Street Heritage Development Corporation, along with the KCMO Police Department and several other community partners, cleaned up the park and the nearby business strip that was also contributing to the drug problem and illegal activity by initiating a Walkers on Watch program, increasing bike patrol, and engaging neighborhood residents through a door-to-door campaign.

The result

• Prospect Park has come a long way since the inception of the Twelfth Street Heritage Community Safety Initiative in 2002. It is no longer the incubator of illegal activity and now serves as a safe haven for family and youth-oriented activity.