Nelson Hopkins Sr. considers Kansas City's homicide rate a "state of emergency." His son Nelson Hopkins Jr. became the 105th homicide of 2009 on December 1, and Nelson's cousin Randy Wilson was killed January 9 of this year. Both homicides are unsolved. Because drastic times call for drastic measures, Hopkins is launching his own anti-violence initiative, Operation Promise Land, on Friday.
Today, Hopkins began passing out fliers inviting community activists, politicians and concerned citizens to meet him on the block of 4400 Agnes (in the heart of the 64130 zip code, a.k.a. the "Murder Factory") from 3-4 p.m. Friday.
"Once people assemble and I get some hot coffee or tea into their hands, I'm going to talk about what Operation Promise Land is all about," Hopkins says. Then, he'll ask for volunteers to join him in passing out fliers around the neighborhood, letting people know about Operation Promise Land, and spreading the message that violence will no longer be tolerated in our inner-city neighborhoods.
Wilson
Major Randall Hundley, the commander of the Kansas City Police Department'sRandy
homicide, robbery and special victims units, says he's met with Hopkins, who asked
him to open Friday's event by turning on his squad car's lights and
sirens. "Is it a normal request? No," Hundley tells The Pitch.
"Am I going to do it? Yes."
Hopkins knows he's treading on
territory that other activists have claimed in the past. "I've run into a
few egos already, as it is," Hopkins says. "People are telling me to
tread lightly, to be political. That's fine. But if people don't have
the empathy to rally around a clean-cut kid who tried to make it out of
the 'hood and didn't make it, I don't want them with me anyway."
If
you have any information on the deaths of Nelson Hopkins Jr. or Randy
Wilson, call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
Showing 1-1 of 1
What a tragedy. Why does it seem that as hard as it is to keep it straight with all the stuff going on lots of kids do make it especially with the right leadership.
But all the leadership in the world can't slow down a bullet and those bullets seem to end up taking out good kids too often.
like
dislike
