As violence continues to claim a mounting number of lives, including seven people in a span of three days over the Memorial Day weekend, the Kansas City Police Department’s chief is touting a citywide plan to reduce crime. The Violent Crime Reduction Initiative was first unveiled at a news conference in mid-May and doubled down on by officials Wednesday after the latest spike in violence. It’s being described as an aggressive collaboration between police and a host of other groups. They have ventured into some of the poorest neighborhoods to knock on doors, offering social services, and promising enhanced city services. Several community activists and those working with KCPD say the new strategy encourages more collaboration between police and local organizations. But they also say it’s not all that new of a concept. Others are even less optimistic, pointing to a fractured relationship between police and the community, and a focus on criminals instead of the underlying causes of viol...