The year isn’t over, but it is great news that Wichita’s crime rate is down 7 percent from the same period last year. Rapes, robberies and thefts have dropped. And so have homicides, which totaled 13 at the end of October, compared with 32 for all of 2004. Crime levels fluctuate, so it is difficult to know exactly why our rate has declined. But Wichita police officers certainly deserve our thanks for their daily hard work of keeping our city safe.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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16 Comments
Phillip,I agree. Good post.
BUT! Many robberies and thefts aren’t reported, because they take a report and it is filed; end of case. Property is not usually returned, so why bother. Meanwhile the police break traffic rules on a regular basis. BUT! Traffic fines bring revenue into the police department and like all bureacraties, self propagation is the name of the game.
Overall crime is down throughout the country, except rape and other sexual crimes, which has increased. Any thoughts as to why this is?
The reported cases of sexual exploitation of children rose from 4,573 in 1998 to over 81,000 in 2003 and the number of kids placed in foster care has doubled since 1987 to over 500,000.
Why must you folks always turn the positives into negatives? Can’t we just look at the statistics and be thankful that our crime rates have dropped?While some of the things you both mentioned are things to consider, let’s look at the 7% crime reduction as something to be thankful for this year. They caught BTK — that alone is a reason to be thankful this Thanksgiving!
Crime is down?Thank a criminal.
I’m amazed how no one ever wants to address the subject of violence and sexual abuse against women and children. Is it because it’s so uncomfortable to talk about, most people would just prefer to bury their head in the sand?I’m glad to hear most crime is going down, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore certain crimes that are increasing.
“The reported cases of sexual exploitation of children rose from 4,573 in 1998 to over 81,000 in 2003 and the number of kids placed in foster care has doubled since 1987 to over 500,000.”
Damoon,Where do these figures come from? Are they national statistics? Thanks.
Damoon, I have to say that I resent the fact that you feel I am “burying my head in the sand” just because I choose to look at the positive instead of dwell on the negative. Crime rates are down in Wichita — yea! Let’s be thankful for that!
I agree with you that crimes against women and children are horrible crimes that should be taken very seriously. The statistics are very alarming. But the original post was commending the Wichita police for a job well done this year. Can’t we use this blog space to say thanks for their good efforts this year, and not turn this into a place to whine about national statistics?I know you have a lot of feelings about issues concerning women and children. (I have read your posts.) I’m just not sure if THIS blog space is the place to discuss those concerns.
OK, Gertie!Thank you WPD, for the outstanding job you have done to make our fair city a safer place to live. We all appreciate you so much.Now will you please concentrate on helping defenseless children and vulnerable women feel safer by keeping sexual perpetrators and physical abusers locked up?
Gertie, by no means did I intend to insinuate you have your head in the sand when it comes to abuse issues. But the one thing I notice is that all the guys on this blog suddenly go silent whenever the subject is brought up. I think it’s a hard subject for people to discuss or deal with emotionally. When our country can talk about and problem solve these issues as willingly they do the ar in Iraq or Bush’s incompetency, then maybe women and children’s lives might change for the better. All I want to do is increase awareness of the problem, because the problem is much bigger than people realize.
I meant “war in Iraq”, hit the post too soon!
Damoon,
The only thing I would take issue with in your posts is the term ‘vulnerable women’. What do you mean by that? Personally I expect women to be adults and hence be the first line of defense for their own safety.
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One thing that has been overlooked in this discussion is the role of the police in crime prevention. There is no mandate for the police to prevent crimes, even if the crime is happening in front of them. Basically the cops are only supposed to investigate crimes and enforce the law. That is not the same thing as crime prevention, although most police officers would step in to stop a crime in progress.
I would challenge Phillip to name five things the WPD started doing that led to the lower crime rate.
The WPD tout “community policing” as a prevention effort and as a way to lower the crime rate. I don’t know if their statistics support that position or not.
Personally, I make it a practice to not be around policeman any more than I have to be. Not that I commit crimes or anything, but my underlying premise is that less exposure to police makes for fewer opportunities for me having headaches related to them.
Having said that, it seems to me that most city dwellers favor fire and police protection. I wonder if a “limited tax” approach would be supported by very many people when it comes to fire and police protection? I am thinking not.
Damoon, thanks for the clarification of your views. I do agree that more needs to be done to help women and children escape abuse and exploitation. It is sad that some of the worst abusers are able to get out of jail without serving much time, only to return home and abuse again.As far as the Wichita PD are concerned, they do have some great programs in place in the Wichita Public Schools to help children make better decisions about their futures. I have sat in on some of their presentations, and they do make every effort to help the children who bring up “other” issues, such as domestic squabbles, etc.I think the justice system needs the overhaul, in terms of letting out the perpetrators. The police can’t be blamed for that.
Proudman, by “vulnerable” women I mean women who are undereducated with little or no job skills, who generally have their children too young and are dependant on someone besides themselves for financial support. If we could get young women to put off having children until they are older and self sufficent, that would go a long way to preventing a situation where a woman feels she has little choice but to stay with an abusive partner, often allowing her children to be abused also. One statistic that I’ve heard is that one of the biggest predisposers to poverty is having a child (or children) before the age of 25.
Steven, my information came from national statistics.
Gertie, I’m glad to hear that the schools are doing more to address these issues. I don’t think most people realize the scope of the problem. Too many children are growing up in poverty and disfuctional environments due to being born to young, uneducated parents, and the foster care system is bursting at the seams because of it.