Summer in Lakewood marches on! Following the 4th of July Festivities organized by our fantastic Activities Committee, there’s still plenty to look forward to in the coming months, on top of enjoying the amenities. As some may already be aware with school being out, there’s been a growing trend of incidences dubbed “teen takeovers”, which are a social media phenomenon occurring in the last several years where large groups of teenagers gather at a location after being alerted on a social media platform. Many of the “teen takeovers” have turned violent and/or resulted in the destruction of private property.

The most recent reported incident happened on July 10, 2027, at the Cove Aquatic Center on Lake Drive, and required multiple units from Metro Public Safety and the Lee’s Summit Police Department to respond and disperse the group. Multiple cars fled the scene when Metro Public Safety and the police arrived, which resulted in some cars being damaged and several people being detained by the police. An extensive amount of trash was also left in the parking lot from the incident.

Metro Public Safety, the security company hired by the LPOA this year for roving security services from May to September in the Lakewood community, has quickly responded to each incident and for the first two “teen takeovers,” was able to disperse the crowd without incident. Metro Public Safety has proven themselves to be invaluable to the Lakewood community this summer by promptly responding to potential security and safety incidents.

While we hope this is not a repeated incident in the Lakewood community, if you become aware of a “teen takeover” in the neighborhood, please report it to the Lee’s Summit Police Department at 816-969-7390 and then follow by contacting Lakewood Community Services at 816-373-1500. PLEASE NOTE: For incidences where you are actively concerned for the safety of yourself, your property, or see the destruction of private property, please always call LSPD first. Lakewood Community Services are not able to enforce Lee’s Summit Law, make arrests, or otherwise ‘deal with’ security threats other than requesting Lakewood IDs and asking for those trespassing to leave the premises.

If you have a teenager living in Lakewood, it is important to have an honest conversation discouraging getting involved with any “teen takeovers”—as there are real, legal consequences to participating in one, as well as the risk of injury. As the appointed Security Committee, our goal is to protect all Lakewood residents, teenagers included, and encourage safe & smart choices so everyone can enjoy their summer.

LPOA Community Services and Security Committee