Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker earns Law School Alumni Achievement Award

You’d expect a career prosecutor to be laser-focused on criminals. In the case of Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (J.D. ’98), you’d be mistaken.

Not that she doesn’t go hard against the bad guys, but Baker makes no bones about being, first and foremost, a victims’ advocate, as well as a big believer in crime prevention.

Her breaking-the-mold approach to the job has been highly effective: Thanks to the research-based crime prevention program she launched in cooperation with police and UMKC’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Kansas City in 2014 experienced the fewest murders since 1972 – a nearly 30 percent reduction from previous years.

Baker’s progressive and impactful service as the community’s top prosecutor has led to her being awarded the 2016 Alumni Achievement Award from the School of Law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Each year, the UMKC Alumni Association recognizes 16 alumni and one family with top honors. UMKC will honor Baker and other outstanding alumni at the 2016 Alumni Awards Luncheon April 21 at Swinney Recreation Center. The luncheon is one of the university’s largest events and proceeds support student scholarships. Last year’s luncheon attracted nearly 600 attendees and garnered more than $141,000 in student scholarships.

Baker said her motivation for becoming a prosecutor was to make a difference for crime victims.

“Most victims spend the remainder of their life trying to forget, or ‘become normal again.’ But one of the horrible realities of crime is the etching of that event into their lives, just like a birthday or anniversary,” Baker said. “That is why I chose law school – to assist victims by giving them a voice in the process.”

Baker was appointed prosecutor in May 2011 and elected to the position in November 2012. She is only the second woman elected to lead the office. For her efforts in fighting the drug trade in Kansas City, Baker was honored with the Excellence Award for Advancing COMBAT Objectives given by the County Prosecutor, police agencies and community advocates. During her time in the prosecutor’s office, she also received honors as Rookie Attorney of the Year and Victim Advocate of the Year.

Perhaps her most important act on behalf of victims has been to reduce their number. Frustrated by a relentless growth in violent crime statistics over the years, she went back to her academic roots to seek a solution soon after being appointed prosecutor.

“I researched as many different crime reduction plans as I could find that were used in this country and around the world. I chose focused deterrence because it had academic rigor behind it. This was a tested program that had produced positive results in other cities,” she said. “I looked for a plan that could bring relief to entire neighborhoods sickened by the epidemic of violence and I knew I would need help … I literally got in my car and drove to UMKC and made my pitch for an academic partner.”

That was in 2012, and the partner turned out to be Kenneth J. Novak, Ph.D., Chair of Criminal Justice and Criminology. She worked with Novak and others in the department, along with the Kansas City Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to develop the Kansas City No Violence Alliance, or KC NoVA.

NoVA is a crime prevention approach based on focused deterrence. The approach calls for conducting an audit of violent criminals, mapping their connections and using those connections to encourage criminals to police themselves. If a crime is committed, the police can then go after the perpetrator’s entire group – nabbing members for even petty offenses. Law enforcement reaches out to key people in criminal groups through quarterly meetings to get out the message that violence will not be tolerated. If one person in the group missteps, they are told, everyone in the group will be targeted for everything from parole violations to parking tickets to unpaid child support. The effort also involves offering group members access to social services to help them escape a life of crime.

“I am 100 percent confident that NoVA would not have been implemented faithfully to the principles of focused deterrence were it not for Jean’s active leadership,” Novak said.

“I am grateful that I can walk through our criminal justice system standing tall with victims, providing them with grace, compassion, and armored with the law,” Baker said, “And I am grateful for the opportunity to step into a new era that focuses on prevention.”

Click here for tickets or sponsorship information for the April 21, 2016, Alumni Awards Luncheon.

Click here for more information on the 2016 Alumni Awards recipients.