Lake Tapawingo Police Department

"Don't Let the Holidays Distract You From Safety Concerns" By Officer Jamie Arwick Here it is December; time for family dinners, shopping, decorating, perhaps there’ll be evening school activities with the kids. In the fast-paced moments we may find ourselves in,... it’s good to be reminded there are those who’ll want to exploit that busy-ness. Vehicle break-ins are prevalent this time of year and the thief does not care about you or your efforts to make the most of your time. All too often we hear news reports of packages, gifts and personal items stolen from unattended vehicles in parking lots, even your own driveways. One thing we can do to protect ourselves is not to leave these items in our vehicles. It may seem a bit impractical, however a little preplanning just might save you the distress of having your vehicle burglarized. Place items in your trunk away from sight, make an extra trip back home to unload these items before venturing out again and empty your vehicles before retiring for the night. In addition to these ideas, remember to always lock your vehicles! Personal safety tips as well during this holiday season and all year, are good to practice. When leaving a store (especially at night) STOP, scan the parking lot, and look for people standing around. Have your key fobs out in hand when going to your vehicles, remember you can always push the alarm button if you need to, which can draw attention to your situation. Carry a small but bright flashlight as you walk to your vehicle; you’d be surprised what a bright light shined in someone’s eyes does on a dark night. Pepper spray and a loud voice are good options too if you need to protect yourself. The phone call or text message you need to make or take can wait until you’re securely locked in your vehicle. This brings me to the next helpful hint: After the Christmas gifts are opened remember to be wise -- do not advertise those big box items (like TVs) by putting the box (intact) out with the trash. Cut it up. Thieves scan curbside trash to see you what you might have in your homes. Please be careful decorating, hanging lights and putting Santa on the roof (especially when using ladders). There have not been any decorating accidents in my time here. We don’t want a Clark Griswold moment! I’ve had the joy of patrolling the city this time of year, enjoying the wonderfully decorated homes. I see the amount of effort given to make Lake Tapawingo a Winter Wonderland. Happy Holidays to you and yours! See more

We our dispatchers!!

THANK YOU to everyone who so generously donated winter coats, mittens, hats, etc.! We will be taking them to local domestic violence shelters this week so that they can be handed out before it gets too cold here! As always, we continue to be awed by the wonderful citizens we have the pleasure to serve

We are still gathering interest for an upcoming blood drive with Community Blood Center. If you would be interested in donating blood within the next few months, please comment or send us a pm. We would love to host another but we have to have enough interest before they allow us to schedule. Thank you!!

We are hoping to host another blood drive in February! CBC is requesting that we see how many people are interested in donating. Please comment or send us a private message letting us know if you would be interested. Thank you!

We will be holding our Coat drive again this year!

Moms, Dads and Teens; Did you Know?- Missouri law prohibits drivers 21 years of age and younger from sending, reading or writing an electronic message while behind the wheel, including when stopped in traffic. The fine for texting while driving is $200. Two points will be assessed on the driving record for each conviction. Why is texting so bad? It is a major risk factor because it employs all three forms of distracted driving. Visual ( when drivers take their eyes off the r...oad), Manual (anything that takes one or both hands off the wheel), and Cognitive (anything that takes your mind off the road). Texting diverts one's attention away from the primary task of driving. Let's keep in mind that distracted driving applies to adults as well. Missouri also has a zero tolerance alcohol and zero drug tolerance law. Zero tolerance in Missouri means anyone under 21 driving with a BAC of .02 percent or higher will have his or her license suspended for 90 days. It is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase, possess or consume ANY amount of alcohol. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15 to 20 years old according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. Some of the leading causes of death in these crashes are: Exceeding the speed limit, Inattention, improper lane usage, impaired driving and nonuse of safety belts. Please make sure you are having open conversations with young people about the seriousness of drinking and driving, the effects of alcohol and drugs on their minds and bodies and the impact these decisions can have not only on them personally, but the entire family and those around them. Make sure you are discussing topics such as; texting, having passengers in the car and the rules of the road. Let's make sure our young people are safe and arriving alive! Chief Taylor

We had a great time at our Bicycle Safety Day! Thank you to everyone who joined us- we hope you had lots of fun and learned some great safety tips!

There is a blue barrel located in the City Hall lobby for a food drive benefitting the local Community Services League. Any non-perishable food items would be greatly appreciated. For more information, please see the October 2021 Lake Newsletter.

Attention Residents: We have recieved a report of suspicious solicting in our city. Please remember that door-to-door soliciting is not allowed within Lake Tapawingo and to contact us if you encounter someone going door-to-door. Also, always trust your instincts- If something seems "off" it probably is. Scams rely on individuals agreeing to things without questions. Remember that no deal, sale, etc. is so urgent that you should not take the time to do a little research first. Thank you and stay safe!

HUGE Thank You to Mary's Mountain Cookies- you made our day!!

AMBER ALERT CANCELLED ** CHILD WAS RETURNED SAFE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT BY THE SUSPECT. **

In honor of National Telecommunications week, the LTPD would like to say THANK YOU to the Jackson County Dispatchers who are always there to answer the call! We appreciate you (not just this week, but every week) for all you do!!

****UPDATE: Owner has been found. Thank you everyone! Does anyone recognize this dog? He (or she) was found in the lake at Lake Tapawingo today. If you are the owner, please contact the Jackson County S.O. dispatch to get in touch with our officers.

APRIL 12 UPDATE: Lamaryah was located over the weekend and is safe! Thank you for sharing! APRIL 9 UPDATE: Lamaryah is still missing. We believe she may be with... her noncustodial, biological mother. Please call us if you know her whereabouts. MISSING JUVENILE: Lamaryah Brockman, 11 YOA, 5’6, 140lbs, brown hair and brown eyes Last seen on 4/5 at 4:30p , near 92nd and Wallace wearing a gray/white sweatsuit. Her family is concerned about her well-being. If located contact 911 or KCPD Missing Person’s Unit at 816-234-5136

This alert has been cancelled. 2:32 p.m. #MissingPerson #MissingJuvenile #MOmissing

THANK YOU so much to the Blue Springs Elks Lodge for our treats and thoughtful note! We can't wait to get into these goodies!!

SCAM ALERT! DON'T BE A VICTIM! You'll NEVER get a call from PCH Publishers Clearing House, EVER. We've been made aware that scammers are targeting residents in ...nearby communities by phone claiming to be PCH employees (and using names of actual PCH employees), getting personal information from them and setting up a time to show up to give them that big check. This is a scam. Unfortunately, scammers are busier than ever at targeting unsuspecting victims and they're getting sneaky in ways that make them seem legitimate. First of all, just don't answer the phone of a number you don't recognize. Publishers Clearing House (PCH) does NOT make or authorize outgoing calls to consumers to sell merchandise or magazines, or to solicit sweepstakes entries. Their major winners are notified by mail or in person (at their option) and they never phone ahead to disclose that someone has won a major prize. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House and are asked to send money, pay a fee or pre-pay taxes to enter, collect or claim a sweepstakes prize STOP you have not heard from the real Publishers Clearing House. The call you received was from a fraudulent sweepstakes scam operation. Many of these tips from PCH go for any scam. Winning should never cost you anything up front and you should NEVER give banking or personal information out over the phone. More from PCH on protecting yourself from fraud can be found here: https://info.pch.com/fraud-protection-2/ SHARE THIS! Anyone can be a target, but the elderly are especially susceptible to scammers. Share this information with your relatives and friends who may need a refresher on keeping themselves safe from scammers.

We received from some very sweet cards from the senior center thanking everyone who made the Adopt-a-Senior Christmas so special. Thank you!!

We are pleased to welcome Officer Cassandra Hart to our department. Officer Hart was sworn in yesterday and will be working with us part-time. Please welcome her to our great community!

UPDATE- The owner has been found- thank you everyone! Is anyone missing a male beagle mix? He was found near Lake Tapawingo last night and is currently being cared for by one of our citizens. Please contact us if he belongs to you. 816-224-6645 Thank you!

Today we found a women's ring in our parking lot . If the rightful owner can contact us and describe it we would like to get it back to them!

ENDANGERED PERSONS ADVISORY Darrell Peak a white, male, age 40 Kaiden Peak a white, male, age 4 Mayson Peak a white, male, age 3... Darrell Peak, is a white, male, 40, 5’6, 180 lbs, brown hair, green eyes, last seen a wearing black t-shirt with a large white logo, gray hooded sweatshirt with "kum n go" on the front, and black carpenter jeans. Kaiden Peak, is a white, male, 4, 3’4, 38 lbs, white hair, blue eyes, last seen wearing a black shirt with blue sleeves, jeans and boots. Mayson Peak, is a white, male, age 3, 3’, 39 lbs, brown hair, green eyes, last seen wearing a gray shirt with "Mama Knows Best" on the front, jogging pants and tan work boots. **Anyone seeing the missing persons, or anyone having any information related to the endangered missing person should immediately dial 911 to contact the nearest law enforcement agency or call the Greene County Sheriff's Department at 417-829-6235.**

Santa's elf has a new form of transportation! Thank you Lake Tapawingo Police Department and your wonderful community for all you have done!

Be extra careful today if you have to travel!

Congratulations to Officer Arwick for being named our CIT Officer of the year though the Mid-America Council!

Our Elves are on their way to deliver the gifts and goodies to the seniors A Very, Very Big THANK YOU to everyone who donated!! We are absolutely blown away by the turnout and your generosity!!!

UPDATE: 5:15 p.m. The mother has been released from custody this evening and not charged, after investigation this afternoon there were no elements of any crimi...nal activity that could be established. UPDATE: 11:45 a.m. We have located Noriyah and she is OK! Her mother is in custody and under investigation for child endangerment. We plan to submit the case file to prosecutors today. UPDATE: 09:30am There is no new information at this time, Many Detectives and officers continue to canvass the area this morning as people are waking up. Please continue to circulate BOTH pictures of Noriyah 1) is believed to be the clothes she is wearing. 2) is a better picture of her face. UPDATE: Overnight, officers, detectives are using all of the resources they have, including help from @JCSheriffOffice, searching on foot, in cars, using K9, and drones. We have not located Noriyah yet. We continue to work with her family to gather more info. (Updated pic attached) - Missing/Endangered Juvenile Noriyah King B/F 3 years old, 3’0 tall, 45 lbs, possibly wearing an orange or pink coat was last seen on 12-10-20 at 7pm in the area of 38th and Highland, wearing the pictured clothes. If located, Please call 911 or KCPD missing persons 234-5136.

Another snowy morning If you need to get out today remember to give yourself extra time and drive slowly!

We are taking our THIRD load to Hope House today. A HUGE Thank You to everyone who generously donated items to make their season very merry!

UPDATE: Police said they have spoken with the man in the previously released photo. They said they are no longer looking for him in connection with this case. E...mma Looker is still missing. If you know where she is call (816)836-3600. FLOOD YOUR FEEDS The Independence Police Department is asking for help to find a missing and endangered teen who hasn’t been seen by family in nearly week. Authorities are searching for 14-year-old Emma M. Looker. Looker is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs around 125 pounds. She has long curly brown hair. Police said Looker was last seen by family on Dec. 2. Police said Looker may have possibly been seen at motels on U.S. 40 Highway in Independence, and on Armour Road in Kansas City, Missouri. t.ly/u6Ki

Taking our SECOND carload to Hope House this morning! Thank you to everyone for their very, very generous donations!!

Friendly Reminder to everyone who Adopted a Senior - please bring your gifts to our City Hall office by TOMORROW (December 16th, 2020) so we can deliver them on Thursday. We are still missing a few. Thank you!!!

UPDATE 11/27/20 GREAT NEWS! The children have been located and are SAFE with police. We’re working with the Division of Family Services to find the safest place...ment for them moving forward. UPDATE 11/26/2020 The FBI is now offering a $5,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of Avontay and Kelvontae. Please call us if you know where they are. ** UPDATE** 11/25/2020 We are currently investigating the case with missing children, Avontay Reed (b/m 11/16/2013) and Kelvontae Cooper (b/m 11/27/2015). We became aware yesterday the children were not with their mother or their aunt, their current caretaker. We are talking with family, friends and the Children’s Division, who has custody of the children. The family does not believe the children are in peril. We have learned there are historical facts indicating the mother has taken the children on several occasions and voluntarily given them to other caretakers. We have no indication the children were abducted, therefore an Amber Alert is not applicable at this time. We are still committed to finding the children. If you have any information please call 911 or the KCPD Juvenile Section at 816-234-5150. ----------------------------------------------------------------- MISSING/ENDANGERED Avontay Reed b/m 11/16/2013, 100 lbs 4’7 last seen wearing a black coat, gray shirt, blue jeans, black shoes Kelvontae Cooper b/m 11/27/2015, 90 lbs 4’4 last seen wearing a black coat, white shirt with red and black writing, blue jeans, and brown shoes. They are in Children’s Division custody; placed with maternal Aunt. Mom took the children from their Aunt’s house on 11/09/20. She was located today, but the kids were not with her. If located please call 911 or KCPD Juvenile Sec. 816-234-5150.