The City of Wichita officials on Thursday released a report that makes recommendations to sustain and improve safety in Old Town, particularly during high-traffic weekend and nighttime periods.
“Crime report data show that incidents in Old Town have been significantly decreasing since 2012,” said Mayor Jeff Longwell who released the report during his weekly news briefing at City Hall. “Old Town is a safe entertainment district. The recommendations from the report are designed to sustain and improve the safety of the community, with the support of partners.”
The seven-page report, which can be found at www.wichita.gov, was drafted by City officials with assistance from Old Town Association, Wichita Downtown Development Corp. and other partners. It has several key recommendations related to:
- Allowing the hiring of off-duty law enforcement officers;
- Partnering with the Wichita Fire Department to increase public safety presence;
- Instituting enhanced traffic-control measures;
- Streamlining citation and enforcement processes;
- Implementing additional licensing requirements; and
- Conducting further research on several safety aspects including the establishment of a security fund.
The recommendations are in various stages of implementation and efforts are primarily led by WPD, with support from other City departments, said Denise Peters, a City Manager Office staffer who helped draft the report.
