2020
L E N E X A P O L I C E D E PA R T M E N T
A REPORT TO OUR
COMMUNITY
LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT |
A MESSAGE FROM CHIEF LAYMAN I am honored to be your new chief of police, following Thomas Hongslo who retired in December 2020 after a distinguished 31-year career in law enforcement. In my 27 years with the Lenexa Police Department, I have had the privilege of seeing first-hand the hard work of the dedicated women and men in our Police Department. We have a proud legacy of police service, beginning with our first Chief John Foster, and continuing to today. I am committed to not only maintaining the high level of service you’ve come to expect, but am eager to lead our department into the future as we look for ways to enhance, innovate and improve our public safety services. Last year began with much promise, and we were poised to build upon great things we accomplished in 2019. Just three months into 2020, however, we faced the beginning challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like you, we had to remain Flexible, Nimble and Agile in order to serve our community, while also ensuring the safety of our personnel and those OUR MISSION we came into contact with. Out of an abundance of caution, we made the difficult decision to suspend some of our non-essential services. Despite Working in that, our patrol operations did not decrease, and we continued to provide partnership to public safety services around the clock.
protect and serve our community with honor, integrity, and professionalism.
Also at the forefront of 2020 was public conversation surrounding police use of force, tactics, training and diversity. We heard from many of you who raised sincere questions about those issues as they relate to our department. We invested many hours of constructive conversation with members of our community, our governing body, local faith leaders and civic groups such as the Johnson County NAACP. We took a long, introspective look into our own policies and practices to ensure that we are serving in the most professional and ethical ways that you have come to expect from our department. I am committed to continuing that work, and as chief of police, I am always open to hearing from you about concerns or compliments of our Police Department. Despite the many challenges of 2020, I believe that we will rise to even greater heights as we continue to provide Exceptional Service to meet the needs of our community. I hope you will find this annual report helpful in understanding some of the crime- and safety-related activities in our community over the course of 2020. Know that the dedicated members of our police department will always strive to keep Lenexa a safe place for all people to live, work and visit. Thank you for your continued support. Dawn M. Layman dlayman@lenexa.com 913-477-7300
LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT | 2
CALLS FOR SERVICE (CFS) 2020 Top 5 CFS Types
49,551
1) Traffic Stop
42,366 41,441 35,977
2) Vehicle Check 3) Welfare Check 4) Suspicious Activity 5) Alarm - False
2017
2018
2019
*based on Dispatched CFS
2020
TRENDS
PERFORMANCE MEASURES CATEGORY
2017 2018 2019 2020
Calls For Service (CFS)
22,477 22,785 22,706 19,859
Phone-In CFS
7,100
7,775
8,250
7,629
Walk-In CFS
1,254
1,234
1,106
706
Officer Self-Initiated CFS
19,889 18,656 26,845 15,412
Total Calls for Service
42,366 41,441 49,551 35,977 5,720
4,863
11,823
6,317
Citations (Traffic Only)
7,288
5,963
10,581
5,339
Citations (Non-Traffic)
1,169
1,143
1,242
978
3,266
3,191
3,277
2,225
4,960
4,809
5,256
3,629
Average Non-Emergency Response Time (minutes)
7.8
8.0
8.1
8.0
Average Emergency Response Time (minutes)
5.0
5.3
5.2
5.7
Total Arrests Total Charges
INCREASE in Motor Vehicle Theft
14,123 13,776 13,350 12,330
911 Emergency CFS
Total Tickets
83%
35%
DECREASE in Residential Burglary
63%
DECREASE in Commercial Robbery
56%
INCREASE in Commercial Burglary *compared to previous 3-year average
LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT | 3
SPOTLIGHT:
LICENSE PLATE READERS
Automatic license plate reader (ALPR) technology has been a tremendous tool for law enforcement agencies, including ours, for several years. Since 2009, we have utilized both fixed and mobile license plate reader systems to scan for wanted or missing persons, stolen cars, and stolen license plates. Here are just a couple examples of good police work that started as an alert from our license plate readers. On the morning of August 23, a Toyota Camry drove past a license plate reader. The license plate on the Camry was associated to a missing person from Lawrence, Kansas, triggering an alert to officers and dispatchers. Patrol officers located the Camry near 87th St and I-35 and conducted a traffic stop in order to see if the missing person was in the car. When officers identified the driver, an adult male, he was in fact the person who had been reported missing a few days earlier by concerned family members. While speaking with the man, officers believed him to be in a mental health crisis. They were able to contact the family members who had reported him missing. Once his family arrived on scene, officers worked with them to ensure the man had access to resources and could get the appropriate help.
On the morning of April 8, a Honda Civic stolen in a robbery in Kansas City, Kansas drove past a license plate reader, triggering an alert. Dispatchers conducted a secondary check to confirm that the Civic was stolen, then directed officers to the car’s location using traffic cameras. Patrol officers located the Civic which proceeded to make a series of evasive maneuvers through a neighborhood in an attempt to lose officers. Officers caught up and initiated a traffic stop by turning on their emergency lights, but the vehicle sped away. Other officers anticipated the Civic’s path of escape and managed to use tire deflation devices to flatten two of its tires. The Civic continued driving, committing numerous traffic violations, before finally coming to a stop. Four occupants got out of the car and ran on foot as officers approached. However, all four were apprehended and arrested. Two of the individuals were currently out on bond from other pending criminal cases in a different state. Another individual was in possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. All four were later charged in Johnson County District Court.
LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT | 4
COMMUNITY CRIME MAP Did you know you can get information about police activity around the city and in your neighborhood? The Community Crime Map by LexisNexis can be found at CommunityCrimeMap.com. From there, you can enter an address in the search bar, as well as pan and zoom the map. There are also selection options for searching specific date ranges and call types, as well as a known sex-offender map.
LENEXAPOLICE POLICEDEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT|| 5 LENEXA
TRAFFIC SAFETY We strive to keep Lenexa roadways flowing smoothly and safely. One way we accomplish this is through traffic violation enforcement. Special traffic enforcement occurs primarily in high-crash locations and complaint areas as reported by the public. At any given time, there are 30-40 locations that citizens have requested special enforcement patrols. These traffic complaints are primarily reports of speeders, and stop-sign/red light violators.
TOP 5 VIOLATIONS CITED 1) Speeding 2) MV Insurance Required
Here are the top three motor vehicle crash locations in Lenexa for 2020.
3) Drive While Suspended
W 87 St Pkwy from Pflumm to I-35
4) No Driver’s License
th
W 95 St from Marshall Dr to Monrovia th
W 87th St Pkwy from Renner to Maurer
5) Expired Tags
*NOTE* We did not include highways in our top crash locations since most of those are handled by the Kansas Highway Patrol. This includes I-35, I-435, K-10, K-7 and US 69. Questions about traffic safety in Lenexa? Call our Traffic Safety Unit at 913-477-7415.
CO-RESPONDER PROGRAM In 2020, we received 977 calls for service related to individuals in a mental health crisis. In partnership with the Johnson County Mental Health Center, LPD is embedded with two full-time civilian mental health co-responders. Co-responders are masters-level mental health clinicians that meet the Kansas statute requirements of Qualified Mental Health Professionals. The goal is to provide the right intervention at the right time in an effort to prevent unnecessary arrests, decrease trips to the emergency room and reduce repeat calls for service for our officers. The co-responder’s primary responsibility is to respond on scene with an officer when behavioral health is identified as a possible contributing factor. Additionally, co-responders conduct outreach and follow-up calls to individuals who had police contact as a result of a behavioral health crisis, with the intention of getting the individual the help they need to avoid future police contact.
LENEXA POLICE DEPARTMENT | 6
JOIN LENEXA POLICE We are seeking career-minded public servants with the quality, character, and drive to be part of our team. Take pride in choosing more than a career - accept the challenge of being a Lenexa Police Officer. With a solid reputation as a leader in the Law Enforcement Community, we have a proud history of professional, intelligent, and progressive policing. Visit JoinLenexaPD.com to see our latest job openings and apply. Questions? Contact our Recruiting Coodinator at pdrecruiter@lenexa.com or 913-825-8282.
Benefits Include: • • • • • •
Affordable insurance coverages for health, dental, & more On-site Wellness Clinic Paid leave for sick, vacation, & holidays Multiple retirement plan options Education reimbursement Lateral opportunities for certified officers with prior experience
Starting Salary Range: $44,188 - $54,666/annually Top Out: $76,760/annually
Lenexa Police Department 12500 W 87th St Pkwy Lenexa, KS 66215
Questions about this report? lenexapdpio@lenexa.com
BEHIND THE BADGE We asked officers why they chose to work for the Lenexa Police Department. Here were their thoughts... “It’s been my experience that the citizens of Lenexa are very supportive of our department. As I patrol the community, I am frequently met with friendly waves and welcoming conversations from residents. This type of positive community-police interactions makes for a great place to serve.” Police Officer Logan Self, 3-year LPD veteran “I moved to Kansas City from the east coast and had no knowledge of area police departments. After speaking with Lenexa PD recruiters, I learned of their commitment to the community and their smart, proactive approach to policing. I knew this was the department I wanted to join.” Master Police Officer Christine Reglin, 8-year LPD veteran
Lenexa.com/Police 12500 W 87th St Pkwy, Lenexa, KS, 66215 Non-Emergency Dispatch: (913) 477-7301 Crime Stoppers Anonymous Tip Line: (816) 474-8477 Follow us on: