Midwest city's downtown is now Mad Max-style hellhole where locals are scared to go out after 8pm
Downtown Kansas City has become a hotspot for illegal street racing and reckless ATV and dirt bike riders tearing through the neighborhoods - chaos that escalated last month when a police officer was hit by an ATV, Fox 4 reported.
Now, frustrated business owners and locals are weighing whether to abandon the downtown altogether, blaming city leadership and law enforcement for failing to curb the chaos and restore a sense of safety.
'This isn't a race issue, this isn't a political issue, this is a safety issue,' David Lopez, a local business owner, told Fox News, noting how dangerous chaos right outside is a constant occurrence.
'I feel as though this city is about unsafe as it's been since my family has been at 207 Southwest Boulevard, and that's 45 years this September,' he added.
'When things out of your control start to chip away at the very foundation of what you've done for four generations, it hurts.'
Not only is the community feeling the impact as they return to the safety of their own homes by nightfall, but long-standing local businesses are bearing the brunt - watching foot traffic vanish and revenue slip away.
'People are going to leave - that's it,' Lopez, the general manager at Manny's Mexican Restaurant, added to the outlet.
'At 8pm on a Saturday, we used to be getting our third turn, but now at 8pm, I cut three serves, a bartender and three kitchen staff,' he continued.
Bradley Gilmore, owner of Lula's Southern Cookhouse, agreed, explaining how he's personally watched crime rise and police presence disappear right outside his business.
While he once supported downtown revitalization efforts, such as the 670 Park and downtown baseball, his support - like the city's police - is quickly fading.
'It's incredibly disappointing to witness the continued lack of police presence and response in our neighborhood,' Gilmore told Fox News.
'It's becoming increasingly difficult to back these large-scale projects when the basic needs of safety and accessibility are being ignored.'
Last month, the issue was thrust even further into public view when a reckless ATV rider slammed into a police officer in downtown Kansas City, leaving the cop briefly hospitalized with severe head injuries, The Kansas City Star reported.
At around 7pm on April 12, officers on Main Street allegedly spotted a group of illegal, off-road motorbikes and ATVs chaotically through downtown city streets, performing dangerous stunts as they rode.
Last month, the issue was thrust even further into public view when a reckless ATV rider slammed into a police officer in downtown Kansas City, leaving the cop briefly hospitalized with severe head injuries
An officer attempted to haul a tire deflation device at the vehicle, with the ultimate goal of apprehending the driver once the ATV was stationary.
However, the driver reversed, popped the ATV into a wheelie, and lifted its front tires off the ground - striking the officer in the process - before driving over him and fleeing the scene, The Kansas City Star reported.
Mayor Quinton Lucas released a statement after the purposeful crash, which said: 'Last night, a reckless ATV driver caused injuries to a Kansas City police officer, mayhem on our streets, and continued to display the lawlessness that too many dirt bike, stunt drivers, ATV users, racers and others display on streets in dense areas of our city'.
'Vehicles are not toys and the streets are now playgrounds for lawlessness,' he added, according to The Kansas City Star.
Not only is the community feeling the impact as they return to the safety of their own homes by nightfall, but long-standing local businesses are bearing the brunt - watching foot traffic vanish and revenue slip away
'All have a right to enjoy our city uninterrupted by those whose actions bring harm to others.'
Despite the statement, many locals in the area feel that both city leadership and police officers are continuously failing to do their due diligence in addressing the ongoing issue.
Mayor Lucas had publicly encouraged residents to reach out with their concerns, yet many - including Gilmore - report never receiving a response.
Now, Gilmore fears the Crossroads could easily regress into what it once was - a ghost town, abandoned and forgotten.
Although some safety measures have been implemented, wary locals argue that they've never been sufficient.
Across the street from Tom's Town Distilling Co., a downtown speaker repeatedly broadcasts an eerie four words: 'You Are Under Surveillance'.
'It does the opposite of making people feel safe when they are venturing around the Crossroads,' Tony Pulford, marketing coordinator at Tom's Town, told Fox News.
After an officer attempted to haul a tire deflation device at the ATV last month, the driver reversed, popped the ATV into a wheelie, and lifted its front tires off the ground - striking the officer in the process - before driving over him and fleeing the scene
'Safety is an ongoing concern - we want that... but I think there are better ways to do that.'
For many, if drastic action isn't taken soon, the risks are simply too great to continue living in downtown Kansas City.
'If I feel like I can't protect the people that I love and care for - and the people that I value, especially the customers that walk through my doors - I'm out,' Lopez told Fox News.
The Kansas City Police Department has since announced a boost in active patrols in entertainment districts, along with a crack down on illegal street racing, sideshows and ATV activity, promising stricter punishments including arrests, tickets and tows.
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