FBI Kansas City Division marks century of service
The FBI Kansas City Division will mark a century of service as of today, August 21, 2020. The Division, which was established in 1920 as one of nine divisional offices across the United States, has played a fundamental role in protecting our nation.
From the fugitives and felons of the 1920s to the high-tech terror that threatens us today, the FBI has continued its mission to protect hardworking Kansans and Missourians.
Currently the Division’s jurisdiction spans the entire state of Kansas and the western two- thirds of Missouri and has grown from just 73 Special Agents and 43 professional support employees in 1960 to more than 140 Special Agents and 135 support employees. A snapshot of accomplishments achieved during the Division’s early years, specifically 1943 – 147 fugitives located, 296 convictions, 174 automobiles recovered and $101,941 in recoveries – demonstrate a young, mission and operationally focused FBI.
The Division gained notoriety across the nation for the deadly Kansas City Massacre at Union Station. That event historically shaped the FBI and our current jurisdiction. The Division continues to investigate all matters which fall under the FBI’s purview to include civil rights matters – human trafficking, violent crimes against children, hate crimes, as well as domestic and international terrorism, counter-intelligence, public corruption, white collar crime, violent crime, transnational organized crime and cybercrime.
Spanning decades of service, it is important to note the many high-profile matters that have been investigated by the Kansas City Division.
In addition to the Kansas City Massacre, the Division has played a role in high profile cases including:
* The kidnapping of Bobby Greenlease in 1953;
* Operation Strawman – which led to the conviction of members of the Kansas City Crime Family;
* Oklahoma City Bombing;
* BTK – Bind, Torture, Kill, the prolific serial killer who terrorized Wichita, Kan. for almost 30 years;
* Diluted Trust – the pharmacist Robert Courtney who diluted cancer patients drug;
* The terror bombing plot of the Wichita airport;
* The theft of trade secrets;
* The conviction of a Chinese scientist who was charged with conspiring to steal from a Kansas bio-pharmaceutical research facility;
* Arson of a planned parenthood facility in Columbia, Mo.;
* The terror bombing plot in Garden City, Kansas targeting a Somali community
* The recent attempted bombing of a hospital in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.
The Division is also notable for the number of high-ranking Bureau leaders who have served in Kansas City or were from Kansas City. They include FBI Directors William S. Sessions and Clarence Kelly and W. Mark Felt, revealed in 2005 to be Watergate’s “Deep Throat.”