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