We continue to work on our Mental Health Co-Responder program. Our goal is to help reduce the amount of police resources needed to aid people in mental health crises and get them to the services they need. Our partnership with the other Northeast Johnson County cities and Johnson County Mental Health is very beneficial to our community. I am happy to announce we were able to secure federal funding through the grant process to continue providing a second co-responder in 2025.
Throughout this report, you will find examples of our officers positively interacting with our community. It is important to me and our officers to engage with our community outside of the normal police duties. We continue to be involved in several community events, like Coffee with a Cop, High Five Fridays and Motivational Mondays at the elementary schools, birthday parades, National Night Out, Citizen Police Academy, Faith and Blue, and Merriam block parties. Our officers participate in many events supporting Special Olympics, and Capt. Jeremiah Waters is the state director for the Kansas Law Enforcement Torch Run. This year, we also started Operation NOEL, or Northeast Elves, where we partnered with several agencies and groups in Northeast Johnson County to provide Christmas presents for five disadvantaged families from local schools, including four kids from Merriam.
Finally, thank you to our community for the outstanding support we continue to receive. It is so nice to hear from our residents about all the good work our officers do daily. Our last citizen survey in 2024 reflects we are certainly providing effective police services to our citizens. 92% of the residents who responded to the survey were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the police services they received. This reflects the hard work our officers are doing and the high importance we place on community engagement. We look forward to continuing to build on these accomplishments and make 2025 even better!
Sincerely,
Darren L. McLaughlin Chief of Police
PATROL COMMANDER Maj. Chris Brokaw
INVESTIGATIONS COMMANDER Capt. Jeremiah Waters
SUPPORT SERVICES COMMANDER Capt. Nick Weiler
BUDGET EXPENSE REPORT
In 2024, Merriam's total police budget was $4,834,980. 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: $4,484,080.00
SPENT: $4,375,502.98
PERCENT OF BUDGET SPENT: 98%
ALL OTHER DISCRETIONARY ITEMS
This budget item includes utilities, equipment rental and repair, training expenses, vehicle repair and fuel, uniforms, and office equipment.
BUDGETED : $348,100.00
SPENT: $203,098.00
PERCENT OF BUDGET SPENT: 58%*
* The Co-Responder Program was grant funded, and we returned $107,812.56 of the discretionary budget.
Police Department spent 97% of its budget and was under budget by $156,094 in 2024.
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:
Fund balance as of Jan. 1, 2024
RECEIPTS
EXPENDITURES (purchases made in 2024 from the fund)
$2,338 .20
balance as of Dec. 31, 2024 $1684.61
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 seven supervisors.
In 2024, our officers answered 9,441 calls for service. These calls ranged from simple city ordinance violations to severe crimes involving personal injury. Merriam police officers also conducted 10,790 self-initiated citizen contacts. These included traffic stops, suspicious person checks, business checks, community outreach, and other miscellaneous duties. Officers wrote a total of 3,723 reports.
INVESTIGATIONS
The Merriam Investigations Unit consists of three detectives and a detective sergeant. In 2024, the unit investigated 339 cases. Of these, 54% 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 investigations and one OICIIT investigation.
TRAINING
Each Merriam police officer received an average of 129 training hours in 2024. 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 131,000 cars drive through Merriam each day.
2024 CRASH FACTS
There were 588 motor vehicle crashes reported to the Merriam Police Department in 2024 compared to 535 in 2023. These included:
▶ Injury crashes: 98
▶ Fatalities: 0
▶ Crashes over $1,000 in damage: 382
▶ Crashes under $1,000 in damage: 108
▶ Alcohol-related crashes: 24
▶ Nonhighway crashes: 365
NOTE: The above statistics don't include crashes reported to and investigated by the Kansas Highway Patrol 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 in the City. The chart below gives you information on some of the crime reports taken in 2024.
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 2024. The incidents on this list were submitted by patrol supervisors.
ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY
FEB. 22 // CASE #24000463: Master Police
Officer Phil Lewis responded to a local hospital because a juvenile girl came in with an adult man. Both were interviewed, and the juvenile said she had sex with the adult. The man said he thought the girl was an adult and only kissed her. Through the investigation, officers learned the incident happened in another city, and a detective there charged the man with sex crimes.
MPO Lewis
DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
MAY 5 // CASE #2401216: A young woman was passed out behind the wheel of her car while on the highway after coming to a stop following a collision. The officer first to the scene saw the woman wasn’t breathing but had a pulse. Officers administered Narcan to the woman and, after several doses, she started breathing on her own.
Sgt. Hirsch, MPO Berry, MPO Moeller, PO Allen, PO Kisthardt
DOMESTIC BATTERY / KIDNAPPING
JUNE 9 // CASE #2401593: Officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a local hotel room, where they observed blood coming from a woman’s lip. The victim said the offender struck her in the face, and he wouldn’t let her leave the room. She said the offender was suicidal. Officers entered the room, where the offender was observed lying on the bed, bleeding profusely from his neck, and not responding to what officers were telling him to do. Medical staff transported the offender to the hospital and custody was exchanged to county law enforcement.
Sgt. Meyers, MPO Lewis, MPO Russell, PO Fulson, PO Moll
AGGRAVATED
ASSAULT/AGGRAVATED
CHILD ENDANGERMENT
JULY 15 // CASE #2401974: A resident’s exboyfriend arrived at the residence with two additional unknown men. A verbal altercation ensued at the front door after the ex-boyfriend was denied entry into the house. The ex-boyfriend and one additional man then fired many rounds into the front of the residence, including the bedroom where the children were sleeping. All three subjects then fled and circled back. The primary suspect fired multiple rounds into the residence again before fleeing the area. The primary offender was arrested and charged. Two additional suspects haven’t been identified.
Sgt. Jasinski, Det. Ruby, Det. Bates, PO Michael, PO Peavler
ASSIST OUTSIDE AGENCY
SEPT. 2 // CASE #2402516: Officers helped an outside agency after the driver of a stolen vehicle engaged in a vehicle pursuit before fleeing on foot. Master Police Officer Jordan Berry quickly located the fleeing suspect, engaged in a foot pursuit, and chased the suspect into a commercial building, which the suspect burglarized in his attempt to evade officers. Berry cornered the suspect in a room, and a tactical team responded. Officers located the suspect inside the ceiling. He was arrested and charged.
MPO Berry, PO Moll, PO Peavler
OCT. 12 // CASE #2402936: A juvenile girl was supposed to work a volunteer shift at a local business but never arrived. Her parents quickly learned she had left the area with an adult man and waited until he returned to the business with their daughter, where he fled. They provided information, which officers used to identify him and determine he’d been staying in the area. Through the investigation, officers learned the incident happened in another city, and a detective there charged the man with sex crimes.
Det.Ruby,PONewman
USE OF FORCE
HOMICIDE
NOV. 22 // CASE #2403322: A worker saw a man stealing tools from the bed of his vehicle. He confronted the thief who attempted to drive away from the confrontation. The worker drew a gun and fired multiple rounds into the truck’s driver-side window. The thief crashed nearby and was found unresponsive and transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The truck was later confirmed as stolen. Investigation into the justification of the shooting continues.
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 852 individuals in 2024 and only used force in 56 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.
Merriam Police Conduct Two Organized Retail Crime Operations
Officers with the Merriam Police Department and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office led two targeted enforcement operations at Merriam Town Center in 2024.
Merriam police officers investigated many cases that involved organized retail crime and worked with staff from the retail businesses to determine the best times to conduct the operation.
Officers arrested individuals who committed store thefts and were able to recover store property. Police Capt. Jeremiah Waters said most thefts are people stealing items from the stores and then reselling the items for a profit. He said the businesses have worked with the police department on ideas to combat the rising thefts occurring in Merriam and around the Kansas City metro area.
“Cooperation between the police department and our business community is crucial,” Capt. Waters said. “We want to be able to help them with any concern they have, and this operation is an example of the great relationship between the businesses and the police department.”
THANK
YOU'S
FROM THE COMMUNITY
“Thank you for all you do for the community. Thank you for risking your lives every day to keep us safe! We can’t thank you enough for all you do.”
“Thank you for coming to the hospital the other day regarding the above-referenced case. You were so kind and calm, and you didn’t make me feel like the incident was nothing. I really appreciate your demeanor as well as your partners.”
“I want to commend the actions of Sgt. Waller. I was scammed, and he responded to help me. He was so nice and helpful and even though I lost a great deal of money, he made me feel better. I was so thankful he was there to help me and wanted to let you know he is a very good officer. “
OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY
BUILDING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
We’re committed to our residents! Merriam police officers stay involved in our community throughout the year. They enjoy participating in a variety of programs, including Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out, block parties, birthday parades, and attending all community events put on by the City of Merriam. We appreciate being able to continue building community connections across Merriam.
How We Built Community in 2024
▶ Merriam officers attended more than 45 community events in 2024, including Faith and Blue weekend, school carnivals, trunk or treats, Family Fun Friday nights, Christmas in the Courtyard and Breakfast with Santa, a recycling event, women’s situational awareness classes, and more.
▶ Officers helped four kids celebrate their birthdays with drive-by parades.
▶ Attended 16 neighborhood block parties.
▶ Hosted National Night Out Against Crime in October.
▶ Hosted two women’s self-defense workshops in April and September, with 25 total participants.
▶ Participated in Prescription Drug Take Back events in April and October.
▶ Participated in many annual fundraising events, including the Heroes Pull, Torch Run, Polar Plunge, and a silent auction, which resulted in about $10,000 raised for Special Olympics Kansas.
▶ Officers met with community members at three Coffee with a Cop events in March, August, and October.
▶ Greeted young students at dozens of Motivational Mondays at Crestview Elementary and High-Five Fridays at Merriam Park Elementary schools.
▶ Hosted the first annual Northeast Elves (NOEL) to help give five local elementary kids a holiday experience of shopping for gifts, eating pizza, wrapping gifts, and meeting Santa. Officers collected nearly $3,700 in donations for this event.
▶ Participated in four Kansas Department of Transportation S.T.E.P. Campaigns to target DUI and seatbelt violations.
▶ Taking Down DUI
▶ Click it or Ticket
▶ You Drink. You Drive. You Lose
▶ Thanksgiving Safe Arrival
In October, 14 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!
Officers volunteer at the Northeast Elves event.
Merriam police officers and community members at Coffee with a Cop.
Merriam police officers at the Turkey Creek Festival.
HIGHLIGHTS
RECOGNITION
▶ Rashad Castenada was selected to be a member of the Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council.
SERVICE AWARDS
▶ Chief Darren McLaughlin - 35 years
▶ Records Clerk Ronda Brumbaugh - 25 years
▶ Sgt. Rashad Castaneda - 10 years
▶ Sgt. Chris Meyers - 10 years
▶ Officer Brandon Bates - 5 years
PROMOTIONS
▶ Nick Weiler was promoted from sergeant to captain in February.
▶ Matthew Hirsch was promoted from master police officer to sergeant in February.
▶ Chris Meyers was promoted from master police officer to sergeant in October.
▶ Mike Russell was promoted to master police officer in October.
GRADUATIONS
▶ May: Officers Ryan Albers and Jon Moll graduated from the Johnson County Regional Academy.
▶ June: Officers Sydney Schneider and Gary Young graduated from the Kanas Law Enforcement Traini ng Center.
▶ September: Officers Devin Allen and John Kisthardt graduated from the Johnson County Regional Academy.
OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Master Police Officer Brandon Bates for being recognized as the 2024 Officer of the Year! He’s a 5-year veteran with the Merriam Police Department. In that time, Bates has become an instructor in many different disciplines, including defensive tactics, handcuffing, baton, and de-escalation. He’s a motivated and a well-rounded officer who takes a lot of pride when it comes to educating and training his colleagues.
Bates is one of two detectives for the department and was tasked with tackling the retail crime problems the City of Merriam has experienced. He sought extra training, knowledge, and networking connections to help confront this problem.
Bates has assisted all department officers and staff regarding fitness and workout plans. He created a database with dozens of workout programs that the officers can access for free and has set a great example for his peers through his fitness and range scores. We thank him for his dedicated years of serving in the Merriam Police Department.
Sgt. Chris Meyers and family with Chief Darren McLaughlin
Master Police Officer Mike Russel and Chief Darren McLaughlin
Sgt. Rashad Castenada with his Kansas Law Enforcement CIT Council Certificate
NEW STAFF
Community Survey Shows High Satisfaction for Merriam Police Department
The City of Merriam received outstanding results in its recent community satisfaction survey. Conducted every three years, this survey is a vital tool for evaluating City services through community feedback. The categories of public safety with the highest levels of satisfaction, based upon the combined percentage of “very satisfied” and “satisfied” responses among residents who had an opinion, were:
▶ Quality of local police protection (92%)
▶ Public safety personnel response to emergencies (91%)
▶ Feeling of safety in neighborhoods (90%)
▶ Public interaction with the police department (88%).
Police Using New Lost and Found Pet Service Provider
The Merriam Police Department is now partnering with the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City to provide the community with lost and found pet services.
First Responders Day
In honor of First Responders Day on Oct. 28, flags honoring the fallen were displayed in front of the Merriam Police Department between Oct. 25 and Nov. 4.
First Responders Day recognizes the service first responders provide to their communities and honors those who have died in the line of duty.
The 31 flags at the police department represent Johnson and Wyandotte counties police, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and 911 dispatchers who have died in the line of duty since 1950 – the year Merriam became a city.
Call Log Created to Share Police Activity
The police department created a Call for Service log so anyone can see the last 24 hours of calls for service made by Merriam police officers.
The log was created to address transparency concerns after the City of Merriam complied with federal policy to encrypt its police radios.
The public also can view the City’s Crime Map, which shows data on alleged criminal conduct in Merriam.
