KANSAS CITY (AP) - With Kansas City homicides nearing 100 and running far ahead of last year’s pace, Jackson County prosecutor Mike Sanders has announced a five-point program that includes "warrant wolf packs" to seek out and arrest violent fugitives.

Sanders’ program also would use billboards and radio and television spots featuring the slogan "The silence is killing us" to encourage more witnesses to cooperate with police, he told the editorial board of The Kansas City Star.

"This stuff will work," said Sanders, who announced his plan four days after the city council established a commission to study the cause of the increased homicide numbers.

As of early today, 99 homicides had been recorded this year, compared with 91 for all of 2004. If the pace continues, the total could reach 120 by the end of the year.

City Councilman Alvin Brooks, who proposed the commission study, said Sanders’ plan would complement the council effort.

"We can’t wait," he said. "We’ve had two homicides since the resolution was passed."

Sheriff Tom Phillips said that what Sanders described as "warrant wolf packs" would involve sending 20 sheriff’s deputies and police officers on 24-hour sweeps twice a month, looking for the 50 most-dangerous people among the nearly 6,000 fugitives in Jackson County.

The fugitive apprehension unit in the sheriff’s department doesn’t have enough people to do that, but police officers from other jurisdictions have agreed to help. Phillips said he hoped to pair about 10 of his deputies with police from Kansas City, Independence, Raytown, Grandview and Sugar Creek.

Phillips said the focus will be on violent people who are career criminals, who once arrested are more likely to either stay in jail or be sent to prison, rather than getting a quick release from custody.

The sheriff said he believes that once word of the regular sweeps gets out, the criminals will be less active and some will leave the area.

Rachel Whipple, Kansas City’s deputy police chief, saw merit in going after fugitives.

"Right now they try to triage and take the most violent ones first," she said. "But it’s hard to predict when someone might turn violent. ...The more people with warrants we can get off the street, the better."

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