Kansas City leaders are rolling out a new strategy to reduce domestic violence killings, as cases tied to intimate partner violence surge across the city.
“In 2025, one in three homicides were related to domestic violence compared to one in 12 in 2024,” Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson said during a press conference announcing the initiative.
“That’s a reality we are seeing firsthand — and it demands we act earlier,” she said.
The new effort — called the Intimate Partner Violence Intervention (IPVI) Focused Deterrence Program — is designed to stop violence before it escalates by identifying people at risk and intervening sooner.
The program is a partnership between the City of Kansas City, the Kansas City Police Department, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office and several domestic violence service organizations.
It is funded by a $400,000 grant from the Bloch Family Foundation, awarded through the Police Foundation of Kansas City, along with $75,000 from the city’s Health Department.
Mayor Quinton Lucas said the goal is to break cycles of violence before lives are lost.
“Our goals here are very clear — reduce repeat harm, disrupt cycles of violence and protect the safety and stability of families in Kansas City,” Lucas said at the press conference.
Unlike traditional approaches that respond after violence occurs, the IPVI program focuses on early intervention, accountability and coordinated services.
The model identifies individuals at risk of committing repeat violence and delivers a clear message: the abuse must stop — while also offering access to support services for both victims and those causing harm.
Local domestic violence service organizations will play a central role in carrying out that work. Representatives from Newhouse, Synergy Services, Hope House and the Mattie Rhodes Center will help connect survivors to safety planning, housing resources, counseling and advocacy.
“These organizations bring deep expertise and trusted relationships within the community,” Johnson said. “Their involvement ensures this initiative remains survivor-centered and grounded in real-world experience.”
Lace Cline, Kansas City’s assistant city manager for public safety, said the strategy builds on the city’s SAVE KC program, which has already shown measurable success in reducing violence.
That program helped reduce homicides by 40% between 2024 and 2025 and non-fatal shootings by 60%, she said.
“Those results give us real confidence that a similar strategy can be effective in addressing intimate partner violence,” Cline said during the press conference.
Cline said one of the biggest challenges is that many domestic violence-related homicides involve people with little or no prior criminal history.
“Which means we have to intervene earlier before the patterns of violence take hold,” she said, describing an approach that emphasizes clear communication, accountability, and access to services for both victims and those causing harm.
Johnson said the initiative will take a dual approach — holding repeat offenders accountable while also working to prevent first-time offenders from escalating.
“We are committed to prosecuting to the fullest extent,” Johnson said. “At the same time, for first-time, lower-level defendants who are at risk of escalating, this program looks like flooding them with resources and enforcement messages before they become offenders we never want to see in our courtrooms.”
Police Chief Stacey Graves said the city has already seen some progress, with domestic violence homicides dropping from 12 at this time last year to two so far this year.
Still, she emphasized the need for continued action.
“That’s still two homicides,” Graves said.
City leaders say the new program brings together law enforcement, prosecutors, courts and community organizations in a coordinated effort to prevent violence before it turns deadly.
“I want Kansas Citians to hear our message,” Graves said. “Know we are a lifeline. We are working in the three pillars of prevention, intervention and enforcement to stop intimate partner violence.”