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Wichita Police Department is honored for winning the Top International Law Enforcement Award 2003 Webber Seavey Award

The Wichita Police Department will be recognized for winning the Webber Seavey Award during the City Council meeting on November 18th.  "Planeview Project" is one of three top winners in the 2003 Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement, an international competition sponsored by Motorola and the International Association for Chief's of Police. The Plainview Project was developed and implemented using the SARA model to address a spike in violent crime and a continuing decline in quality of life in the Planeview area of Wichita. By the late 1990s, Wichita residents had become accustomed to living in one of the safest communities of its size in the country. The Police Department, having won the gang wars in the early and mid 1990s, and successfully implementing community policing in 1995, had widespread public support. Citizens were accustomed to the Police Department working in partnership with neighborhoods, and responding swiftly and efficiently to crime. So as violent crime continued to escalate in the early 2000s in the Planeview area, police and citizens alike became increasingly alarmed. Things came to a head when a gang member fired shots at two City Parks Department employees who were removing graffiti. In order to gain a clear understanding of the problems plaguing the Planeview area, and to keep the project on track, the Department utilized a number of different analytical tools including: demographic data, neighborhood surveys, crime analysis, calls for service and observation. After completing the initial analysis, the Department wanted to accomplish the following objectives: Read the full release here, which includes pictures, maps, etc. Reduce violent crime in Planeview Reduce juvenile crime in Planeview Enhance relationships with citizens in Planeview Develop partnerships with stakeholders in Planeview Address neighborhood blight Instill a sense of pride and ownership in Planeview