More Deadly Silence

"I've been convening some of the committees, and we will be probably — within the next week or two — coming up with some timelines on each of the recommendations," Mayor Pro-Tem Brooks says. "I don't plan for it to die on the vine or collect dust or turn yellow on somebody's bookcase."

Brooks left his anti-crime agency, MoveUp, at the first of this year, when he declared his candidacy for mayor. Since then, it's been all quiet on the candlelight-vigil front, probably because MoveUp is preoccupied with moving out of its leaky-ceiling spot at 33rd Street and Troost and into 3013 East Ninth Street.

But not everybody is so quiet.

On September 29, a handful of fed-up folks marched from Ninth Street and Harrison to City Hall to voice their displeasure, chanting "No more killing."

Joyce Riley, organizer of the 23rd Street PAC, which plans nonviolent marches, was there, looking fierce in an orange T-shirt. "The Crime Commission is almost a joke," she said. "I read the report. It's the same as always — a lot of talk. That's all it's been for 20 years, a lot of talking. I'm tired of them talking. They had to soothe the public with something. They have the arena, and we have a Katrina."

Until recently, activist Washington had also been conspicuously quiet, apparently conserving his energy for his MySpace page. (A caption under one of Washington's pictures on the site reads: "Bringing sexy back to activism.")

But last Thursday, Washington's crime-fighting efforts made news again in The Kansas City Star. Writer John Shultz credited Washington's MySpace page (www.myspace.com/alonzo_wash ington) with collecting tips that led to the arrest of Rodney E. Carter, who is now charged in the slaying death of Jeffrey Dunham, the first homicide victim of 2005 (Bryan Noonan's "Shots in the Dark," February 17, 2005).

Shultz's story followed one he'd written on Carter's charges the day before that made no mention of Washington. In response to that story, Washington posted a furious blog entry on his MySpace page, calling Shultz racist for leaving out the fact that a black man had helped in the arrest of the accused killer, who is black.

If this piece of protein had been in Shultz's position, it would have been pissed at being called racist for failing to heap praise on Washington. Since when are the sources of tips identified in crime stories? Couldn't that be a little bit dangerous?

In the blog entry, which has since been removed, Washington said he would call Shultz's editor, and he invited others to do the same. He posted Shultz's work-phone number and e-mail address. The next day, Shultz's love letter to Washington ran on page 2 of the Local section, under the headline "Tip from Web led to arrest."

Meanwhile, Washington spoke — mostly about himself — at a prayer vigil last Wednesday evening in front of the Empire Room at 31st Street and Oak, where Dunham was shot.

"Just so everybody here knows," Washington said, "last year, when the Precious Doe case was cracked, I prayed and asked that other cases be cracked.... And all this year, I've been trying to get tips to come in to the police, Kansas and Missouri. I'll just be honest, there's a lot of people out there who don't like me very much, but I'm trying to do something right."

At the vigil, which was attended by Major Anthony Ells and Dunham's two cousins and an aunt, Washington complained about being criticized. During her prayer, Washington's wife compared her husband to a figure a teensy bit more famous: "Even Jesus Christ suffered criticism when he walked on this Earth. He did not go unblemished as far as people attacking him or naysayers saying negative things, so we should expect those things, Father God, especially when we're trying to do something that is right."

More humble sentiments were expressed the night before, at a lonely little vigil held for Shanta Marie Rhodes, a 15-year-old girl who was choked to death by another teenager in 2001 — another bad year for violence.

Two of Shanta's small cousins batted at each other with the limp sleeves of their puffy coats as a circle of people formed in front of the home of Robert and Bonnie Muse, near 70th Street and Agnes. The sun was going down as McMillan — who had volunteered to lead the vigil without MoveUp — led the prayer. A few people spoke about Shanta's smile, her positive energy, her friendliness.