Date: June 28, 2001
Contact: Janet Johnson, Assistant to the Chief of Police
: JCJohnson@wichita.gov
: (316) 268-4340

Have you ever wondered what the crime rate is in your neighborhood? The answer is only a keystroke away. Neighborhood crime rates are now available on the Wichita Police Department’s Website, www.wichitapolice.com.

So whether you are thinking of moving to a new neighborhood, or just curious about what’s going on in your own, you can access the information from the comfort of your home. The website’s crime rate information covers a two-year period and is updated monthly.

“We often get requests from citizens for this type of information, and in the past we had to charge a fee for running the report,” said Robyn Clark, WPD Planning and Research administrative assistant. “We are so pleased to now be able to offer this information via the internet in a customer friendly manner.”

There are many other useful tools for Wichita residents on the police website, according to Officer Bruce Benaway. Electronic forms are available for a number of requests, he explained.

They include a vacation report which you can fill out if you are going on vacation and would like the police department to monitor your home; a suspicious activity report that allows you to report activities in you neighborhood that could be drug or gang related; and a form to report traffic-related problem spots in your neighborhood.

If you are looking for a speaker for your community group, you can also make that request via the internet to the Wichita Police Department. The website contains a complete listing of lectures and presentations available through the WPD Community Affairs Section.

Officer Benaway said they are constantly updating the police website to make it customer friendly and meet the needs of the community. You can visit the website at www.wichitapolice.com.