Wyandotte County announces new grant to help victims of gun violence

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Victims and families traumatized by gun violence in Wyandotte County now have a chance to get money for medical assistance, damages and even help finding a place to stay temporarily.

The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office held a news conference Tuesday morning to discuss the implementation of a new $687,000 grant that helps those who have suffered from gun violence.

The Federal Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program Grant (SCIP) will provide resources to victims, including the repair of damage to property, transportation to medical appointments, hospital co-pays, and emergency services that include rental assistance and relocation to immediate housing and transportation.

It will also assist with funding that targets the risks of this type of violence. Specifically, it will allocate funds for court proceedings, including but not limited to, mental health courts, drug courts, and veteran’s treatment courts.

Created and funded by Congress in 2022 , the SCIP program gives money to each state based on population and crime rate. According to District Attorney Mark Dupree, this funding equates to approximately $687,000 over two years in Wyandotte County.

“Any victimization that occurred from April 1st of 2024 through March 31st of 2026 will be eligible for this grant,” Dupree said.

In the news conference, DA Dupree said the budget for each case is expected to cost within a few thousand dollars. However, he also said that all budgets will be determined on a “case-by-case basis.”

DA Dupree also said that, in order to receive support from the program and its partners, a victim’s case does not have to be charged or solved. He said, “If you are a victim of gun violence of any sort in Wyandotte County, whether the case is charged or not charged, solved or not solved, you are eligible to apply for this funding.”

Dupree says his office is working with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department to try to find the people that need the help.

“If the shooting occurred, then the chief has the ability to reach out to our office so that we can still help them even if the case has not made it to our office,” he continued.

Damon Daniel, the Executive Director of AdHoc Against Crime, and Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Chief Karl Oakman, also spoke at the news conference.

Both hope that their partnership with the DA’s office will help to protect and advocate for victims of gun violence in Wyandotte County.

“AdHoc Group Against Crime, that is really our real focus. It’s to make sure we’re bringing in real healing and real justice with real services that are impactful to individuals and families that are impacted by crime and violence,” Daniel said.

In these cases, KCKPD’s role is to help lead investigations related to violent crimes and introduce victims to the new program and resources for support. From there, victims will have access to contacts and applications within the AdHoc Group Against Crime and the DA’s office that allow them to seek damage repairs and assistance following the assaults.

“This is going to give us the opportunity to really focus on victims, and this, not only focuses on their needs, but also, when we’re there to support them, we reduce the chances of them continuing to be victimized,” Oakman said.

“This is just another example of the strong community partners we have in Wyandotte County to fight gun violence and work to prevent gun violence with the help of AdHoc Group Against Crime and the DA’s office.”

Oakman says this money can help remove people out of toxic situations at their homes.
“I think this is going to be a positive thing for gun violence victims as well as those domestic violence victims where there’s guns involved,” he continued.

In 2023, there were 204 shootings in the county, according to Dupree, 14 of which were deadly. He also made it clear Tuesday: if you’ve been a victim of a crime, and you feel like you qualify for the help, contact their office for the application. Their number’s (913) 573-2851.

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