After finding a dead baby in a trash truck this morning, police are tweeting to encourage people to use the state safe haven law to surrender unwanted babies.
The law allows people to leave babies at a police station, fire station or hospital without penalty.
Mayor Jay Nixon this month signed a measure extending the time period for that from five days to 45 days after birth. All states have safe haven laws but the time period for them varies widely.
Police have not released the age or sex of the baby found in the truck on the 2800 block of Campbell Street.
The truck was taken to a police site for processing. Police Chief Darryl Forte in a tweet this morning praised city workers for averting a possible attempt to dispose of an infant’s body.
The Kansas City Star reports that the body was found at about 8:15 a.m. The truck had started work at 7 a.m. and only residential homes were along its route.
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