Candidates for Jackson County prosecutor identify their top priorities

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County will have a new prosecutor after Election Day.

This year's election is historic because for the first time voters will elect a black woman.

Both candidates, Melesa Johnson and Tracey Chappell, have backgrounds in law and public safety.

One of the women will replace Jean Peters-Baker, who was a Jackson County prosecutor for 12 years.

Peters-Baker did not seek re-election and did not support any candidate.

Meet Tracey Chappell

Alyssa Jackson/KSHB

Tracey Chappell, the Republican nominee, began her career making history.

Chappell co-founded an all-female law firm and became the first female chief prosecutor for Blue Springs.

“I am currently in private practice and do a lot of criminal defense work in Clay County, Platte County and Cass County,” she said.

Chappell said she would be ready to get to work if voters chose her as district attorney.

Your first stop would be the police.

“In my first 30 days, I will meet with every police chief to let them know we are open for business,” she said. “When they bring cases to my office and they involve crimes, even if they're missing certain information, it's my job to teach my prosecutors to get on the phone with that detective.”

Photo credit: Tracey Chappell

According to Chappell, there are many options beyond incarceration. However, repeat offenders won't get much mercy from their office.

“Let me tell you…Make no mistake…If you're a repeat offender, tell me you didn't get my second chance, you didn't get my warning,” Chappell said. “If you don’t get my warning, it’s like my children – if you didn’t get it the first time, let me help you so you always remember what I told you.”

Photo credit: Tracey Chappell

For Chappell, making history means sharpening her staff of prosecutors who work with her and laying the foundation for solutions in every zip code.

“When I talk about collaborative law enforcement, I mean we have a satellite office with our prosecutors in these police districts. This won't happen every day. There will be certain days when we set out to operate in these departments,” she said. “When we do this, we want to be able to give police officers answers to their questions. I did it in Blue Springs. When I was there, I was employed in the same department as the police officers. They kept coming in and asking, 'What about this case?'”

Chappell believes a prosecutor can also play a more focused role when a juvenile court judge is deciding whether to recognize a juvenile as an adult.

Meet Melesa Johnson

Dale Brass/KSHB

Melesa Johnson, the Democratic candidate, worked as an assistant district attorney under Jean Peters-Baker's administration.

Johnson is also Kansas City's first public safety director. In her position, she leads several community-based task forces such as Partners for Peace and the KCMO Multidisciplinary Public Safety Task Force.

She agreed to meet at 31st and Prospect Avenue, an area where she has lived all her life.

Some of her memories of growing up in her neighborhood include witnessing violence.

“I vividly remember being young and 11 years old… (there was) a shooting at the BP gas station and I had to lie on my stomach and stay still because my coaches wanted me to going well,” Johnson said. “At that moment I began to ask myself, why are things like this?”

Johnson speaks at length about creating a new property crimes unit with law students assisting prosecutors.

“We need to prosecute more crimes in this corridor. The shoplifting over $750, the property damage over $750.”

She believes in continuing programs like targeted deterrence to advocate for victims while providing opportunities for those likely to commit crimes to turn their lives around.

Alyssa Jackson/KSHB

“Change your life or I will change it for you. We will strengthen accountability in this community,” Johnson said.

In her opinion, there is still a lot to be done in crime prevention and case processing.

“Increase our clearance rates, reduce layoffs, invest in cell phone technology, resume prosecution of drug cases across the board and create an entirely new property crime prosecution division,” Johnson said.

As for additional resources outside of incarceration, she has thoughts on how a prosecutor might advocate for specific solutions.

“We need a lot of workforce development, mentorship programs and food insecurity programs to truly fulfill the promise of public safety,” she said. “This area of ​​Jackson County couldn’t be a more perfect example of why we need to address this issue from all angles.”

KSHB 41

Like Chappell, Johnson said she advocates for juveniles who commit serious crimes to be certified as adults.

Johnson doesn't believe crime can be fought from a courthouse, which is why she emphasized being a “modern prosecutor” during her campaign.

For her, that means making “transformative justice” a priority by giving nonviolent offenders the chance to change.

—

KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers parts of Johnson County, including neighborhoods in Overland Park, Shawnee and Mission. Share your story idea with Alyssa