Available for Immediate Release
From: Rose Brooks Center/City of Kansas City
Date: September 17, 2020
Media Contact: Director of Marketing
Scott Mason, scottm@rosebrooks.org
816-605-7113
Kansas City and Rose Brooks Continue to Address Domestic Violence, Together
Kansas City, Missouri, September 17, 2020 — Kansas City, the city with the highest number of incidents of domestic violence reported in the state (Missouri Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2019), continues to address the often lethal issue of domestic violence, by partnering with Rose Brooks Center, a local domestic violence agency. Three-year funding has been awarded to the city, with Rose Brooks Center as the nonprofit partner, and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and Kansas City Police Department as memorandum of understanding grant partners. Funding supports the implementation of the City’s first coordinated response to domestic violence crime, otherwise know as Kansas City’s Blueprint for Safety.
The Blueprint for Safety is a framework for preventing deaths and reducing the harm caused by abusers. The Blueprint coordinates agency responses across the criminal legal system and outlines each practitioner’s role and responsibilities. This unified, strategic response to domestic violence is designed to increase safety for victims and ensure justice. The Blueprint 
addresses the criminal justice response from 911 through post-conviction practices, ensuring each agency is on the same page – instead of isolated policies and fragmented responses.
addresses the criminal justice response from 911 through post-conviction practices, ensuring each agency is on the same page – instead of isolated policies and fragmented responses.
The full implementation of the Blueprint for Safety is the result of the culmination of years’ worth of collaboration and adaptation to bring about the trust, investment and rapport necessary for this high level of systems change work. Rose Brooks Center has been leading the efforts.
Rose Brooks CEO Susan Miller: “Over the last six years, Rose Brooks has partnered with many local criminal justice agencies to increase victim safety and offender accountability. We are thrilled to take our efforts to the next level by bringing the Blueprint for Safety to Kansas City, and are encouraged by the enthusiasm demonstrated by our community partners for this next step. Implementation of the Blueprint will distinguish Kansas City as a leader and innovator in domestic violence response.”
The Mayor’s Office finds clear value to the overall safety of the Kansas City community. “The nearly $750,000 grant from the Office on Violence Against Women will help us provide resources for law enforcement to hold abusers accountable, and provide safe spaces for survivors and their families to heal and move forward,” said Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. “I am proud to work with Rose Brooks Center to make Kansas City a safer city. We will work tirelessly to ensure all domestic violence survivors find justice and support in Kansas City.”
Through the continuation of funding from the Office of Violence against Women, Kansas City has a unique opportunity to build upon its previous work on the Community Safety Assessment and fully implement the Blueprint for Safety as a comprehensive approach to domestic violence in the city.
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Rose Brooks Center’s mission is the break the cycle of domestic violence so that individuals and families can live free of abuse. Rose Brooks offers emergency shelter, therapeutic care, economic advocacy, as well as support and services throughout the entire community by way of comprehensive community programming and violence prevention services. For those who are in an abusive relationship or need support, Rose Brooks is here to help you plan for safety or connect you to services. Hotline: 816-861-6100