Merriam Police Annual Report, 2022

MERRIAM POLICE DEPARTMENT

2022 2022 ANNUAL REPORT

MERRIAM KANSAS POLICE

BUDGET $4,575,621

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF

I’d like to thank Merriam residents, elected officials, City staff, and, most importantly, our officers for making 2022 a successful year. I’m presenting this annual report to show the work the men and women of the Merriam Police Department accomplished this year.

In 2022, the police department experienced the loss of some longtime leaders and promoted officers into new leadership roles. Capt. Todd Allen retired after 26 years of service, and Sgt. John Walton and Sgt. Jason Reynolds retired with a combined service of 46 years. Sgt. Laura Larison started a new career path after 11 years of service. Although their leadership and experience are missed, we had candidates ready to step up and take over those important leadership roles. MPO Kristin Jasinski and MPO Rashad Castaneda were both promoted to sergeant. Capt. Chris Brokaw was promoted to major. A captain’s process was completed in 2022, and a new captain will be promoted in 2023. I’m looking forward to working with them in their new roles.

In 2022, we hired a second co-responder to help support the mental health needs of Merriam residents and other cities in Northeast Johnson County. This second co-responder is grant funded through 2023. The co-responder program is a great asset to our citizens and police department staff. Some examples we hope to expand on: helping our court with alternative solutions to crimes committed by people with mental health issues and reaching out to victims of domestic violence crimes. I’m excited to see where we can help improve our response to people suffering from mental health issues.

Throughout this report, you’ll find examples of our officers having positive interactions with our community, including Coffee with a Cop, High Five Fridays at the schools, birthday parades, National Night Out, Citizen Police Academy, Faith and Blue Weekend, Merriam block parties, and Operation Rudolph. We’re also very involved with Special Olympics Kansas, and, this year, helped raise $13,800 for this worthwhile charity. We thank our residents and community members for their outstanding continued support throughout the year. It’s so nice to hear from you about all the good work our officers are doing every day. I know they appreciate every card and treat thanking them for their work. It’s a nice reminder that they’re making a difference and doing the right things in our community.

Sincerely,

Darren L. McLaughlin Chief of Police

PATROL COMMANDER Major Chris Brokaw INVESTIGATIONS COMMANDER Capt. Troy Duvanel SUPPORT SERVICES COMMANDER Capt. Todd Allen

BUDGET EXPENSE REPORT

In 2022, Merriam's total police budget was $4,575,621. This amount included all projected costs of personnel, contractual services, commodities, and capital outlay purchases. Below is a breakdown of expenditures by major categories.

PERSONNEL

This budget item includes salaries and benefits.

BUDGETED: $4,225,423

SPENT: $3,880,324

PERCENT OF BUDGET SPENT: 92%

ALL OTHER DISCRETIONARY ITEMS

This budget item includes utilities, equipment rental and repair, training expenses, vehicle repair and fuel, uniforms, and office equipment.

BUDGETED : $350,198

SPENT: $197,691

PERCENT OF BUDGET SPENT: 56%*

* Only 56% of the discretionary budget was spent due to grant funding the police department received for a second co-responder.

Percent of budget spent in 2022: 89%

Police department spending was $486,369 under budget in 2022.

FORFEITURE REPORT

According to K.S.A. 60-4117, law enforcement agencies are required to report the status of their Special Law Enforcement Trust Fund in an annual report. The report must include the type and approximate value of the forfeited property, the amount of any forfeiture proceeds received, and how any of those proceeds were expended.

This section is included in all annual reports to ensure the Merriam Police Department stays in compliance with K.S.A. 60-4117. Any questions concerning specific details should be directed to the City of Merriam’s Finance Department.

LAW ENFORCEMENT SPECIAL FUNDS REPORT

Through the course of the year, the following receipts and expenses were made to this fund:

PATROL DIVISION

The patrol division is responsible for answering calls for service, traffic enforcement, traffic accidents, and other tasks essential to serving Merriam.

Merriam police officers work 10-hour shifts with varying start times to cover all 24 hours of the day, seven days a week. They're assigned to one of six supervisors.

In 2022, our officers answered 9,581 calls for service. These calls ranged from simple city ordinance violations to severe crimes involving personal injury. Merriam police officers also conducted 9,487 self-initiated citizen contacts. These included traffic stops, suspicious person checks, business checks, community outreach, and other miscellaneous duties.

Officers wrote a total of 3,570 reports.

INVESTIGATIONS

The Merriam Investigations Unit consists of three detectives and a detective sergeant. In 2022, the unit investigated 525 cases. Of these, 55% of the cases were solved. The Merriam Police Department also contributed regularly to both the Kansas City Metro Squad and the Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigation Team (OICIIT). This year, officers and investigators helped out on two Metro Squad and two OICIIT investigations.

TRAINING

Each Merriam police officer received an average of 140 training hours in 2022. Officers were able to participate in various training types. Some of these training types included firearms, serious injury and fatality crashes, defensive tactics, ambush survival, real-world de-escalation, biased-based policing, legislative updates that included law changes and notable case laws, civil disturbance, leadership and wellness, use of force, emergency and pursuit driving, crisis intervention, drugged driving, combat first-aid, leadership, and many other types of training.

MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES

One of the fundamental duties of any police department is to investigate motor vehicle crashes. The City of Merriam has 65 miles of roadway within its borders, including approximately three miles of interstate highway. According to data provided by the Kansas Department of Transportation, the portion of I-35 just north of 75th St. is one of the busiest highway sections in Kansas. KDOT estimates more than 132,000 cars drive through Merriam each day.

2022 CRASH FACTS

There were 496 motor vehicle crashes reported to the Merriam Police Department in 2022 compared to 450 in 2021. These included:

» Injury crashes: 123

» Fatalities: 2

» Crashes over $1,000 in damage: 325

» Crashes under $1,000 in damage: 37

» Alcohol-related crashes: 28

» Non-highway crashes: 341

NOTE: The above statistics don't include crashes reported to and investigated by KHP that occurred on I-35.

Shawnee Mission Parkway has the highest number of crashes in Merriam, not including I-35. Officers have identified it as a primary focus for traffic enforcement.

CRIME STATISTICS

Each year, we report crimes to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY

The Merriam Police Department tracks criminal activity and trends by the City's four wards. The chart below will give you information on some of the crime reports taken in each ward during 2022.

OFFICERS AT WORK

Merriam police officers respond to many different types of service calls. The following are examples of memorable incidents handled by Merriam officers in 2022. The incidents on this list were submitted by patrol supervisors.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

JAN. 6 // Case #2200034: A woman called police after her child’s father broke into the residence and held a gun to her head. She was able to call the police department. The man fled on foot after hearing the police sirens and a rush warrant was granted. He broke into the same residence about a month later and was arrested. He continued to contact the victim in violation of a protection order. He has multiple cases pending in district court.

Sgt. Weiler, Det. Jasinski, Det. Ruby

ROBBERY

JAN. 29 // Case #2200224: A man robbed a Merriam business and then a business in Lenexa. The evening before, the same man committed a robbery in Independence, Missouri. After the Lenexa robbery, Missouri Highway Patrol arrested the suspect. He was still wearing the same clothes from the robberies.

Det. Ruby, PO Keith

DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM

JAN. 30 // CASE #2200224: After several calls of shots fired, a vehicle was located near the intersection of Shawnee Mission Parkway and Antioch Road with bullet holes in it. The vehicle was reported stolen a few hours earlier, so it was processed by investigations. A fingerprint analysis came back to a teen who was connected to multiple robberies in the Kansas City metro area. The charges were waived to adult status.

Sgt. Weiler, MPO Soucie

ELECTRONIC SOLICITATION

MAR. 11 // Case #2200614: A father reported that he found explicit messages on his 12-year-old daughter’s phone. Officers learned that her 42-year-old uncle was soliciting sex with her. He denied physical contact but admitted to the texts. The acts occurred in Missouri. He was charged in district court.

Det. Ruby, PO Berry

HOMICIDE

MAR. 27 // Case #2200756: Officers were called about a subject who had been shot inside a residence. Officers arrived and began life saving measures before medical personnel took over. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. A witness identified the suspect. The suspect fled and later had an attorney call to say he declined to speak with us. The District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges.

Sgt. Weiler, Det. Jasinski, Det. Hirsch, Det. Ruby, PO Keith

AGGRAVATED ROBBERY

JULY 30 // Case #2202048: During a drug deal at a residence, two suspects showed handguns and moved people around the residence while they looked for money. The suspects fled out a back window after officers arrived.

About an hour later, the suspects got an Uber. The driver thought they were acting weird, so he drove them to police cars parked nearby. During a home search, officers found the guns and a stolen car. The suspects were arrested and charged.

Sgt.Weiler,Sgt.Jasinski,Det.Hirsch, MPODaniels,MPOBates,MPOSoucie,POHoff

AGGRAVATED ROBBERY/KIDNAPPING

SEPT. 2 // Case #2202423: A man met a woman online and was invited over to her home. When he got inside, the woman and her boyfriend robbed the man at gunpoint then went out to his car and stole items from the car. They let the man go, and he called police. The subjects were arrested and later confessed. They admitted this wasn’t the first time they had done this.

Sgt.Weiler,Sgt.Herron,Det.Ruby,MPOSoucie,PO Berry

AGGRAVATED BATTERY

oct. 4 // Case #2202751: A man was driving down the highway and was shot after a road rage incident a few minutes earlier. Through camera footage, the suspect vehicle could be seen driving into a nearby apartment complex. Due to the time of night, only general information could be determined about the vehicle. Crime lab results on the shell casings recovered from the scene provided more information for follow-up.

Sgt.Weiler,Sgt.Herron,Det.Hirsch,MPOBilyeu

HOMICIDE

Oct. 21 // Case #22002933: A man called 911 and said he’d been stabbed multiple times by an unknown suspect. Officers arrived and found the victim dead in his home. Evidence at the crime scene led to a suspect. As work was done to put the suspect at the scene, officers developed additional leads. A warrant was obtained for the suspect, who didn’t want to talk to detectives. A second suspect was developed, and he confessed to the murder with the other suspect. Capt.Duvanel,Sgt.Waters,Sgt.Weiler,Sgt.Jasinski, Det.Ruby,Det.Hirsch,POHoff,POBerry,PO

Vincent,CAPotts

USE OF FORCE

LIFE SAVING AWARD

NOV. 6 // Case #2203085: Officers responded to an unknown medical call. Upon arriving, the officers quickly learned that a woman in the home had overdosed on fentanyl. She wasn’t breathing, had no pulse, and was blue. The officers acted immediately and administered narcan, deployed the AED, and gave chest compressions. Due to the officers quick thinking and actions, they were able to get a faint pulse, and the woman began breathing again just as medical personnel arrived. Officers Chad Latka and Justin Bilyeu were recognized by the department at a City Council meeting for their actions and were presented with Life Saving Awards.

Law enforcement officers face many challenges and occasionally need to use force to subdue a violent offender or take a person into custody for their protection. Merriam officers arrested 1,091 individuals in 2022 and only used force in 67 of those incidents. This is a testament to our officers’ ability to de-escalate tense situations and gain compliance without force.

The Merriam Police Department makes it a top priority to conduct comprehensive examinations of any incident when force is involved in making an arrest. It's critical to be absolutely sure each use of force was necessary and within policy. Therefore, each incident is reviewed by the officer’s supervisor and a three-member Use of Force Panel for a thorough analysis. The panel and supervisor examine the reports, videos, witness statements, and other evidence to get a complete understanding of the incident. Recommendations then are made to the training committee to consider whether lessons learned from the incident could benefit all officers in future work and improve best-practice standards.

We believe our comprehensive oversight makes the community safer and our officers more accountable.

Left to right: Officer Chad Latka, Mayor Bob Pape, Chief Darren McLaughlin, and Officer Justin Bilyeu

THANK

YOU'S FROM THE COMMUNITY

“Dear Nick, officers, and Chief McLaughlin, My grandmother always started her letters with a list of good and bad. First the good - I have enjoyed this citizen’s academy experience immensely. From shooting at the range, to my ride-along with Holly, to going to the jail, my time in this class has been well spent. The thing that stands out the most is the bond and camaraderie your staff has. They are professional and dedicated and extremely well trained. As for the bad, I can’t think of a thing. Thank you so much.” -

Celia Henson

“Dear Officer Daniels, Here at Safehome, we want to thank you for always answering the call to serve our community! We know that you experience challenging situations every day and thank you for helping to save the lives of domestic violence survivors in our community. Thank you for taking care of our communities, keeping our kids safe, and dedicating your life to the safety of others.” - Staff and Clients of Safehome

OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY

In October, 15 community members graduated from the Merriam Citizens Police Academy. We received a lot of positive feedback, including that it was a wonderful experience and they learned a lot about our police department and our city. Congrats and thank you to all who participated!

Chief Darren McLaughlin and a community member enjoy a cup of coffee together.

Mayor Bob Pape gives a Service Award to Crime Analyst Seth Potts.

Merriam Police Officers Nick Fling and Nathan Hoff attend the Merriam Park Elementary School carnival.

HIGHLIGHTS

M.A.D.D. KANSAS LAW ENFORCEMENT HERO AWARD

In January, MPO Beau Soucie received the 2022 Mothers Against Drunk Driving Kansas Law Enforcement Hero Award for a small agency. This achievement is due to his passion for DUI enforcement to make our streets a safer place for all. Soucie made 121 DUI arrests in 2022.

Awesome work, Officer Soucie! Thank you for keeping us safe!

RECOGNITION

MPO Nick Moeller in October received a Valor Life Saving Award from the Metro Chiefs Association for helping save the life of a man who was electrocuted.

PROMOTIONS

Maj. Chris Brokaw was promoted from captain in April. He’s a 22-year veteran with the Merriam Police Department.

In June, 7-year veteran Sgt. Kristin Jasinski was promoted from master police officer, and Rashad Castaneda was promoted from MPO to sergeant in July.

Officers Trey Daniels and Nick Moeller were promoted to MPOs in June, Officer Brandon Bates was promoted to MPO in July, and Officer Nick Fling was promoted to MPO in September.

RETIREMENTS

Capt. Todd Allen rose the ranks and retired in July after 26 years with the department.

Sgt. Jason Reynolds served 22 years before retiring in July.

Sgt. John Walton retired in May after 24 years of dedicated service.

Master Police Officer Nick Moeller

Master Police Officer Beau Soucie

Officers left to right: Kristin Jasinski, Nick Moeller, Brandon Bates, Nick Fling

Officers left to right: Trey Daniels, Rashad Castaneda, Justin Bilyeu Capt. Todd Allen and Sgt. Jason Reynolds

SERVICE AWARDS

In January, Officer Gerry Eickhoff was honored with 30 years of service and Crime Analyst Seth Potts was recognized with five years of service with the Merriam Police Department. MPO Beau Soucie in April received a service award for five years of service.

Community Service Officer Jennifer Chowning in August was recognized with five years of working for the City of Merriam.

NEW STAFF

We welcomed three new members to our team. Officer Mike Russell and Community Service Officer Gavin Caldwell started in September. Officer Grant Michael started in October and begins training with the Johnson County Police Academy in January 2023.

OFFICER OF THE YEAR

Master Police Officer Trey Daniels has served with the Merriam Police Department for six years. He’s dedicated to his job and always willing to help others, especially when it comes to covering staffing shortages and coordinating the police department’s role in the Turkey Creek Car Show.

Daniels has taken on numerous responsibilities in addition to his regular duties. He’s the lead instructor of defensive tactics, a taser instructor, on Merriam’s bicycle unit, a police training officer, on the employee appreciation committee, and a drone operator.

Daniels always maintains a high fitness level and encourages other officers to do the same. He also has high range scores. Daniels’ peers noted that the most impressive quality about him is that he always has an upbeat, positive attitude.

Daniels is a shining example of the police department’s core values of courage, sacrifice, and compassion.

Crime Analyst Seth Potts

Community Service Officer Jennifer Chowning

Officer Mike Russell Officer Grant Michael

Community Service Officer Gavin Caldwell

Master Police Officer Trey Daniels

Officer Gerry Eikhoff

Master Police Officer Beau Soucie