INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Thieves ripped her off, but the victim is angry with police. She said they responded so slowly, the criminals used her credit cards on a shopping spree before officers showed up.
“I’m still waiting now for my police report,” said the woman who did not want to be identified.
Tuesday afternoon, someone broke into the woman’s car outside the Sunfresh Market on 24 Highway in eastern Independence. The thieves stole the victim’s groceries, $90 worth of gift cards, house keys, and purse.
She called 911. However, the woman claims no officers were immediately able to respond. Police call it a blackout.
“We have to prioritize calls depending on the nature of that call,” said Captain Paul Thurman, night watch commander for the Independence Police Department.
Thurman said violent crimes and crimes against people are always priority. Crimes like graffiti and break-ins do not.
“If I would have known the cops couldn’t have gotten there that fast, I would have moved faster myself,” the victim said. “The bank wasn’t very far.”
Despite population growth, Independence employs the same number of officers it had in 1970, Thurman said.
Police recently begged residents for sales tax money to hire more officers. Voters refused.
So, to hear complaints about response times frustrates police.
“If it’s a lower priority call, they’re just going to have to be patient, or the other avenue is to call in the report,” Thurman said.
