The comments say more than Chief Miller... See this city is full of people who are starting to face city hall with the truth.
CJOnline - Crime declines in Topeka again
Crime declines in Topeka again
By Mike Hall
The Capital-Journal
Published Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. CDT
Crime decreased by 23 percent in the first three months of 2008 compared with the equivalent period in 2007.
Chief Ron Miller said it is the continuation of a downward trend in crime in recent years. Crime was down 9.8 percent in 2007 compared to 2006.
Miller credits community involvement and some new enforcement programs for the progress.
“Thanks to initiatives such as the Safest Capital City Campaign, citizens are beginning to realize that they can reduce crime in their neighborhoods,” he said.
In the first quarter, vehicle break-in reports decreased by 174 to 310 compared with the first quarter of 2007. Miller noted that vehicle break-ins are the crime the Safest Capital City team has been focusing on with the its “Lock It – Remove It – Or Lose It” campaign.
The biggest crime decrease was thefts. Those dropped by 342 reports to 1,024. Burglary reports dropped by 55 to 286. Auto thefts decreased by 42 to 142.
Robberies saw a decrease of 27, to stand at 56. Other crimes that were down are aggravated assaults, down eight reports to 56 and rapes which were down by three reports, to a total of 11.
The only area to see an increase was arson. There were no reports in the first quarter of 2007, but two this year.
“It is critical that we continue to work together as a community to decrease crime,” Miller said. “We encourage everyone to get involved — whether it’s taking items out of your vehicle, joining your neighborhood improvement association or attending a Safest Capital City Meeting, get involved and take a stand against crime.”
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Reader Comments
-3 Rating Posted by: capitalreader at Apr 09, 2008 at 12:29:37 PM
Wow Im glad those scary gas drive offs have been curtailed.
+ 2 Rating Posted by: nnedsand at Apr 09, 2008 at 12:59:56 PM
Topeka police averaged ..... every single day in the first quarter.
Vehicle break-ins= 3.4
Thefts= 11.25
Burglary= 3.14
Auto Thefts= 1.56
Robberies= .62
Aggravated Assault= .62
Helicopter Crashes= 0
Any police department works better when the people take pride in their community.
Would be nice if CJ would post how our city ranks for crime against national averages.
-3 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at Apr 09, 2008 at 01:15:34 PM
It's because of the helicopter program. hehe
-2 Rating Posted by: steve4145 at Apr 09, 2008 at 01:20:06 PM
Only an idiot would commit a crime in Topeka. The police here will either tase you until you die, show up as off duty police officers and shoot you for not reason, or simply stand on you while they handcuff you and you suffocate.
(( the gun portion took place just up the street from me. A city police officer live just half way to the place the shooting took place and the guy living there went into his house and came out with his hand gun. A no no. One can't use a gun outside and say they were protecting themselfs, when they could go in the house and call police. But the 4 cops didn't ID themselfs or so the brother of the guy shot says. Seems to me as many times as the police were sent to the house they should have known every city cop))
+ 2 Rating Posted by: OLDCOP at Apr 09, 2008 at 01:27:27 PM
Since most everyone went to prepay or pay at the pump, maybe all the thieves are going somewhere else to steal their gasoline.
+ 1 Rating Posted by: kscorvette at Apr 09, 2008 at 02:06:12 PM
Don't like the police, ask a criminal to help. No, I didn't think you wanted to. Support our police officers!
+ 1 Rating Posted by: TopekaIsBoring at Apr 09, 2008 at 02:11:49 PM
I wonder if crime has actually decreased or if they've just changed the way that they calculate their statistics?
Posted by: butthead at Apr 09, 2008 at 02:33:26 PM
Police are who you call after the problem.
+ 1 Rating Posted by: T-TownTracker at Apr 09, 2008 at 02:33:47 PM
TIB,
The DID change the way the report violent crime about ten years ago. It was making Topeka look bad, but it was because they were reporting differently.
I do belive less property crims are reported because it's not worth the hassle when nothing will come of it. I had a prestine eldorado get hit and immediately told the police who I thought did it. They did nothing for two months until a new guy got put in charge of hit-and-runs. By that time he had his car fixed, but the cop told me he new it was the car. IT was just too late to do anything about it.
+ 2 Rating Posted by: hcp71 at Apr 09, 2008 at 03:59:47 PM
It is amazing how even when the police do a good job, you still have people who will criticize them. Give them a break folks! If you guys think you can do better, go take the test, I hear they are hiring!
Posted by: OLDCOP at Apr 09, 2008 at 04:22:09 PM
Actually the change to prepay or pay at the pump did make the largest impact on the theft statistics. If I recall correctly, gasoline thefts were about 10% of all reported thefts in Topeka if not more.
Posted by: amesmb at Apr 09, 2008 at 04:41:19 PM
nnedsand: Not a problem. Go here to compare cities to each other as well as the national average:
Crime Rate Comparison - Compare US City Crime Rates
Posted by: jaso0107 at Apr 09, 2008 at 05:36:23 PM
Get a police scanner and see how much crime doesn't on... Way over half of the crap that goes on NEVER gets in the paper........Yet, the "MAN" says decrease in crime....OH, PLEASSSSSSSSE, we do not live with our heads covered up...
+ 1 Rating Posted by: taylorparton at Apr 09, 2008 at 05:52:33 PM
I Love Topeka, and I enjoy Our Neighborhood Crimewatch Team. If People will Continue to Meet their Neighbors and Keep Homes and Yards Neat and Porch Lights On, Crime will Continue to Go Down... Lets Consider more Street Fairs and Neighbors Getting to Know Neighbors... We are Responsible for setting an Example for our Children...
+ 1 Rating Posted by: bobross031800 at Apr 09, 2008 at 06:25:57 PM
Good for Topeka, and for the police. As a community we need to take pride in victories like this and keep pressing towards an even safer community.
+ 1 Rating Posted by: reharkins at Apr 09, 2008 at 07:39:07 PM
I wonder if concealed carry had anything to do with it?
Posted by: bourbon08 at Apr 09, 2008 at 08:09:06 PM
I've been attending the TPD Citizen Academy and have a better understanding of what local law enforcement are up against. I recommend it for those who are interested in understanding officer training. Law enforcement is trained to be aggressive yet they are fathers, mothers, sons, brothers, like each of us.
Since the Sept, 11 Terrorism attacks on our Nation, now responders also have to plan and train for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear attacks, war-fare, of which no department in this country is really prepared to handle, save the military.
Please consider the enviornment these officers, fire fighters, medical technicians ect. are exposed to on a daily bases. If they seem hard-hearted could it be that they have been so over exposed to horrific crime and sick individuals that they've adjusted their own mentality to deal with it? How many mothers and children have you seen beaten, raped, murdered, senseless crimes, not to mention knowing for all your effort you are deemed almost criminal yourself when your only doing your job.
It is so sad to see some of these comments regarding those who serve us in this community. I wish the editor of this news publication would consider the harm this is doing by publishing comments that are not well-thought out on a consistant bases, it's really getting old. Please CJ refrain from over-kill on the negative and help us build a respected community and honor those who lay down their lives to serve us in numersous agencies in this county.
Posted by: abbsmom at Apr 09, 2008 at 09:15:56 PM
Can you spell propaganda? The police do a commendable job for the most part, but any rational person living in Topeka knows crime is not down. Theives are decimating parks, public and private property, stealing any thing not nailed down, and some things that are. Who pays for it?? You and I.