2018 Annual Report
Pride - Professionalism - Dedication
See it - Hear it - Report it
2018 Annual Report
Parsons Police Department
217 N Central
Parsons KS, 67357
Phone: (620) 421-7060
Fax: (620) 421-7081
Produced by the Administrative Services Unit
Sergeant Jason Ludwig & Dispatcher Marshall Sills
Parsons Police Departments Memberships in Professional Organizations Include:
Parsons Annual Report Table of Contents
Chief Robert Spinks
Assistant Chief Dennis Dodd
Administrative Service Unit Sergeant
Organizational Chart
Patrol Division
Investigation Division
Parsons Livability
Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
Traffic Reports
Dispatch Information
Evidence and Records
Animal Control
Fleet Update
The End
From the Chief
Parsons Police Chief Robert Spinks, MA, MS
This publication contains information about the services provided by your police and puts crime statistics into a true factual perspective. Creating and maintaining a safe community environment for residents, commuters, students and visitors of Parsons is of paramount importance. We strive to foster an environment in which individuals feel safe to visit, live, learn, and work. Our goals are principles of professionalism, pride and dedication. These values are essential to our community and serve as the foundation for mutual success and productivity. A safe, supportive community can be achieved with everyone's involvement.
This past year we saw a change in Chief's. Former Chief Jason Sharp become the Dean of Instruction at Labette Community College (LCC). Much of the successes outlined in this report are attributed to his efforts as Chief in setting our agency on the right path for the future. In October, I assumed command of the Department. I am continuing with the efforts of Chief Sharp. Consequently, we are pushing forward with new programming, training, and strategic planning for the future success of the Department.
By far the greatest challenge facing the police department is officer retention and recruitment. Over the past 20 years over 100 employees have moved to other police agencies and employment. On average what that means is that we lose 5 to 6 employees to better paying jobs in and out of the region. With each new opening comes the cost of recruitment, academy training, and supervised field training before that officer can begin solo patrol duties. This costs nearly a year of time from start to finish and reduces the agency's overall effectiveness during this training cycle. Addressing employee retention is a city-wide challenge.
2018, showed a turnaround in crime trends. We saw drops in vehicle theft, assaults, theft, burglaries and rape. The total number of incidents handled by the police this past year also had a slight drop. These reductions still placed the community in the top third of our comparable cities for crime rate. We also see challenges with individuals in crisis and families in-need.
Illegal drugs form a nexus to a series of crimes ranging from aggravated assault, domestic assault, theft, and burglary. So focusing new efforts and resources on illegal drugs is a strategic goal. Working in partnership with the County Attorney Stephen Jones, Labette Sheriff Darren Eichinger and our Department, we are working to create a new Narcotics Task Force based in the Parsons Police Department. This small group, once funded and deployed will focus solely on illegal drug manufacturer, transportation, distribution and sales. We hope to see this group staffed in 2019.
We strive to ensure that crime victims are supported beyond the time when a crime occurs. On March 1st, 2019 we will establish a new Special Victim's Unit (SVU) with a Detective who will work to divert people in crisis out of the criminal justice system and toward helping agencies. A future Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) Program will be established to expand our service to individuals and families in crisis. Also in 2019 the agency embarked upon a training program created by the U.S. Department of Justice to train all staff on Investigating and Prosecuting Sexual Assault. This training totals 105 hours and includes a final exam to receive national certification. Our agency is the only law enforcement agency in Kansas to work toward having 100% of our officers nationally certified.
Our agency evolution is one of continuous improvement. We are continuing to achieve the goals set out in our strategic vision. While we have accomplished much, we remain focused on evolving the Department with the goal of benchmarking our- selves as leaders in Kansas in order to provide the most cost-effective level of service possible to our community. Not only is a safe community a livable city, but it is a community ready to support economic development.
Looking Back to 2018:
- Achieved a year with no formal sustained citizen complaints.
- Partnered with KLKC Radio to create the weekly 'Rap Sheet' radio program. These programs are then turned into podcasts and posted on the Parsons Police website.
- Maintained certification of all police officers by exceeding the minimum annual in-service training requirements of the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers' Standards and Training (KS·CPOST).
- Increased the usage of press releases to increase community awareness of policing in town.
- Trained two Armorers to maintain agency firearms.
- Trained two new Taser Instructors.
- The Department applied for a US Department of Justice, Office of Community Policing Services (COPS) Grant to assist with community policing planning and development of a community survey.
- Initiated a planning process to update the agency's strategic plan. Conducted one-on-one and group sessions.
- Began the use of stratified management process that includes utilizing crime mapping, identifying crime trends, creation of an annual report to track trends, and to improve internal communications through a new weekly supervi- sor's meeting, an agency newsletter and quarterly in-service training program.
In a nutshell for 2018:
- 17,927 total incidents were handled in 2018, resulting in 2,190 crime reports.
- A 14.6% decrease in overall call load from the peak year of 2014 (20,980 total incidents)
- Police response times were superior with Priority 1 calls averaging 2.19 minutes; Priority 2 calls were 4.26 minutes; Priority 3 calls were 4.5 minutes and Priority 4 calls were 9.34 minutes. Nationally, a Priority 1 Call response can range from a low of nearly 6 minutes to over 11 minutes.
- Patrol officers logged over 175,337 miles of city patrols.
Total arrests included:
- Arrest trends were up totaling 595, which was an increase for 2017 (570) and 2016 (511) totals.
- Felony drugs arrests totaled 83 while misdemeanor drug arrests totaled 64.
- A total of 305 felony and misdemeanor arrest warrants were served.
Traffic enforcement also contributed to safer streets
- The agency received the AAA Platinum Traffic Safety Award for the 3rd year in a row.
- 2,930 traffic stops were made in 2018, but 1,231 of these stops resulted in enforcement action while 1,699 warning were given. This equates to one citation for every 2.41 traffic stops.
- Traffic enforcement did not merely target speeding which comprised 19% of all citations. No insurance (21%), Seatbelts (15%), and Expired Vehicle Tags (10%) rounded out a majority of citations. A complete breakdown is on page 15.
- A series of traffic safety grants from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) contributed to a decline in vehicle crashes in town.
Schools
The School Resource Officer (SRO) Program continues to be an integral partnership with Parsons USD 503.
The Assistant Chief is responsible for the day to day operations of the Parsons Police Department.
Assistant Chief Dennis Dodd oversees Uniform Services, Investigations, Dispatch, and the School Resource Program. The Parsons Police Department consists of more than 26 sworn officers and 7 civilian employees.
The Parsons Police Department is responsible for providing rapid response to emergencies, comprehensive investigations on all criminal matters, traffic safety, community service, and assistance to the general public.
Our goal as a department is to respond to the community's needs in a professional manner with a customer service mentality guiding us. We are committed to working in a collaborative effort with the community to identify, address, and resolve quality of life issues with our focus directed toward long-term resolutions.
We at the Parsons Police Department take pride the fact that we are providing the community with great law enforcement services. The City of Parsons can take pride in what we have accomplished in 2018.
Assistant Chief Dennis K. Dodd
Administrative Services Unit Sergeant Jason Ludwig
2018 Brought some new changes to the Parsons Police Department including a new Chief of Police. Joining the Parsons Police Department is Robert Spinks. Chief Spinks took over after Jason Sharp vacated the position during the summer. Chief Spinks brings new and different ideas to the department such a an updated website and 'THE RAPSHEET' podcast with Annette Tucker from KLKC radio. Chief Spinks has hit the ground running and has added a new building and a third detective position to the police department roster. Chief Spinks has implemented the slogan for the citizens of Parsons to help the men and women of the Parsons Police Department stop crime and deter future criminal activity. 'See It, Hear It, Report It' will be a common phrase coming from police department employees. "Only together can we create a community that provides the All American feel that we desire to live in." Says Spinks.
Other changes with the police department is the addition of a Special Victims Unit Detective position specializing in crimes involving children, sexual abuse and dependent adult abuse. This position will be a welcome addition to the police department giving victims a singular person to communicate with during the investigation process.
Among the additions to the departments personnel we have added a new policy manual that is created for 21st century policing. The Lexipol Policy was formed to be a fluid document that will change as case law and new statutes change. This gives the Parsons Police Department continual training on the changes in law enforcement trends. We have also added to our tool kits body worn cameras that are linked to the patrol vehicle. The WatchGuard system body camera activates automatically when officers turn on their vehicle lights. This system also wirelessly downloads all video to a computer in the police department when the patrol car gets within range, this saves the officer time from manually downloading each video.
2018 also brought the third consecutive AAA Traffic Safety Platinum Award. This award was given for our participation in traffic safety events including Click It or Ticket, Thanksgiving Safe Arrival, You Drink You Drive You Loose, along with our department ran programs such as the child safety seat program, and Ident-a-kid. These achievements are only the beginning for the Parsons Police Department. Even with all these additions Chief Spinks was able to add personal protective equipment to the department with hard plate body armor and ballistic helmets, we are able to meet force with force in the event of an active shooter. The department has also updated our weapons from Sig Sauer to the more commonly used Glock 17, giving the Parsons Police Department Glocks guarantee. This has been an interesting end to 2018 and we can only expect great things in 2019.
The Administrative Assistant, Dispatch Supervisor, Assistant Chief, Narcotics Chief and A.S.U. Sgt all report to the Chief of Police.
The "A" Shift Dispatch, "B" Shift Dispatch, "C" Shift Dispatch, "D" Shift Dispatch all report to the Dispatch Supervisor.
The Lt. Detective, Detective, SVU Detective, School R.O. and the Patrol Division all report to the Assistant Chief.
The Patrol Division consists of the Sergeant, Corporal, Senior Patrol, East Sector and West Sector. The East and West Sector reports to the Senior Patrol, the Senior Patrol reports to the Corporal and the Corporal reports to the Sergeant. There are 4 shifts in the Patrol Division - "A", "B", "C" and "D"
Rec./Evid. and Animal Control all report to the A.S.U. Sgt.
The Parsons Police Department is Staffed 24 hours a day 365 days a year. We have four divisions in the department. Administration, Investigation, Patrol, and Communications. Patrol and Communication Divisions are available to the public at all times with the Investigation Division on a call rotation for felonious and large crimes. The Parsons Police Department averages about 30,000 calls for service yearly and incorporates half of the population for the entire county. We focus on serving our citizens with our core values Pride, Professionalism, and Dedication.
Patrol
Patrol Division Operations
The Patrol Division is comprised of four 12-hour shifts working 6 am to 6 pm and vice versa. Each shift is comprised of a Patrol Sergeant, a Corporal, a Senior Officer, and two Sector (East and West) officers. The Patrol Sergeant answers directly to the Assistant Chief. Duties of the Patrol Division include but are not limited to:
Provide for public safety by maintaining order, responding to emergencies, protecting people and property, enforcing motor vehicle and criminal laws, and promoting good community relations. Identify, pursue, and arrest suspects and perpetrators of criminal acts. Record facts to prepare reports that document incidents and activities. Review facts of incidents to determine if criminal act or statute violations were involved. Render aid to accident victims and other persons requiring first aid for physical injuries. Testify in court to present evidence or act as witness in traffic and criminal cases. Evaluate complaint and emergency-request information to determine response requirements. Patrol specific area on foot or motorized conveyance, responding promptly to calls for assistance. Monitor, note, report, and investigate suspicious persons and situations, safety hazards, and unusual or illegal activity in patrol area. Investigate traffic accidents and other accidents to determine causes and to determine if a crime has been committed. Photograph or draw diagrams of crime or accident scenes and interview principals and eyewitnesses. Monitor traffic to ensure motorists observe traffic regulations and exhibit safe driving procedures. Relay complaint and emergency-request information to appropriate agency dispatchers. Issue citations or warnings to violators of motor vehicle ordinances. Direct traffic flow and reroute traffic in case of emergencies. Inform citizens of community services and recommend options to facilitate longer-term problem resolution. Provide road information to assist motorists. Process prisoners and prepare and maintain records of prisoner bookings and prisoner status during booking and pre-trial process. Inspect public establishments to ensure compliance with rules and regulations. Act as official escorts, such as when leading funeral processions or firefighters.
Investigations
Lieutenant Sherri McGuire and Sergeant Kyle Wiford
In 2018, the police department had two full-time detectives and two street investigators. The job duty of the detectives is to provide investigative support to patrol, criminal investigations and narcotics investigation. The investigations division also works with outside agencies to coordinate investigations that involve criminal activity which may begin in our community and spread out to other jurisdictions.
In 2019, a third full-time detective has been added to the investigation division. This position is a career development training. The Career Development Investigations Training Program (CDI-TP) is designed to pro- vide a rotating (short-term) cross-training opportunity for police officers/corporals and Sergeants to develop and enhance their investigative skills. While all police officers are expected to conduct preliminary investigations, conduct interviews, process crime scenes and follow a case from its dispatch to arrest and preparation for court, this career development cross-training opportunity allows an officer to receive additional training, mentoring and hands-on experiences to make them a more effective police officer. Special Victims Unit (SVU) is the term used to
designate a Police Officer/Corporal or a Sergeant who is engaged in a temporary, rotating CDI-TP who is receiving
training and mentoring that is focused on dealing with families and juveniles in-crisis or at-risk, is a lead in sex crime investigations, is the agency liaison to develop partnerships with helping
agencies, non-profit groups, the faith-based community and state or county agencies to support and divert individuals and families out of the criminal justice system whenever possible.
Tim Jones, Patrol Sergeant, was promoted and will become the first SVU Detective the Parsons Police Department in the Career Development Investigations Training Program.
The end of 2018 saw the Investigations division move from the main police department to their own building. The new building provides more space for families in crisis, two additional interview rooms and a play room for children that have contact with the police. This move allows for more space opening in the main department and removes victims and children and allows them to be in a more relaxed environment.
COMMUNITY LIVABLILTY
Behavioral and property based crimes can be an indicator of a community's overall level of livability. These types of crimes can also be precursor warnings to the development of more serious crime in the future.
Key indicator crimes include criminal damage, assaults, thefts, burglary, domestic violence calls, and disorderly conduct. By paying attention to these crime today, the police and the community can see trends that may later lead to more serious types of criminal activity.
As the columns in the lower graph decline, there is a greater level of livability in the community-in essence the community is healthier.
The results of quickly nipping 'quality of life' crimes supports the "Broken Windows" theory of crime. If minor violations and crimes are left unchecked by the community, then a breeding ground for crime develops which, if allowed to remain, gives rise to additional and more serious crimes.
In a small community, it is relatively easy to drive through unkempt neighborhoods and then overlay crime mapping on those areas to see the accuracy of the Broken Windows Theory of Crime. Proactively addressing nuisance code violations, abandoned vehicles, and minor criminal activity really is the first line of defense to protect the overall quality of life and livability in Parsons.
Criminal damage, assaults, thefts, burglary, domestic violence calls, and disorderly conduct in Parsons for the past 5 years.
| Year 2018 Criminal Damage 146 Assault 23 Theft 336 Burglary 124 Disorderly Conduct 23 Domestic Violence 168 |
Year 2017 Criminal Damage 223 Assault 32 Theft 591 Burglary 161 Disorderly Conduct 34 Domestic Violence 139 |
Year 2016 Criminal Damage 234 Assault 41 Theft 655 Burglary 163 Disorderly Conduct 48 Domestic Violence 154 |
| Year 2015 Criminal Damage 292 Assault 59 Theft 485 Burglary 157 Disorderly Conduct 77 Domestic Violence 177 |
Year 2014 Criminal Damage 211 Assault 22 Theft 371 Burglary 136 Disorderly Conduct 83 Domestic Violence 153 |
UCR
UNDERSTANDING CRIME: WHAT IS UCR?
The Parsons Police Department reports crime data to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), which serves as the clearinghouse for collecting crime data in the state of Kansas.
Serious Crimes include: Murder, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Burglary, Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson. Simple Crimes or less serious Crimes are also tracked, this is not an all inclusive list of crimes. The charts shows the local UCR crime rate. This allows a comparison be- tween PPD and other agencies.
One common misconception is that the work environment for rural police officers is safer than in metropolitan communities. Yet, the data has shown for decades that the two highest risk work locations for police officers are the largest metropolitan cities and in rural communities. All other areas and sizes of communities tend to provide a safer work environment for law enforcement officers. Usually because of lower staffing, less back-up, availability of weapons and a host of factors, policing metropolitan cities and rural communities remains a risky occupation.
Population of Surrounding Cities
Parsons - 9,815
Coffeyville - 9,423
Independence - 8,692
Chanute - 9,143
Pittsburg - 20,384
Theft Reported by Regional Departments
Parsons - 308
Coffeyville - 333
Independence - 444
Chanute - 66 (Chanute KS only reported 6 Months of Data)
Pittsburg - 797
Crime Totals by City and Category of Crime
Parsons Violent Crime - 80
Parsons Property Crime - 451
Parsons Total Crime - 531
Coffeyville Violent Crime - 48
Coffeyville Property Crime - 449
Coffeyville Total Crime - 497
Independence Violent Crime - 59
Independence Property Crime - 583
Independence Total Crime - 642
Chanute Violent Crime - 11
Chanute Property Crime - 90
Chanute Total Crime - 101
Pittsburg Violent Crime - 89
Pittsburg Property Crime - 990
Pittsburg Total Crime - 1079
2017 Comparable City Crime Data
Pittsburg - 52.9
Atchinson - 38.6
Arkansas City - 53.7
Augusta - 40.2
Lansing - 13.8
Merriam - 63.8
Mission - 39.8
Chanute - 11 *Chanute KS only reported 6 Months of Data
Independence - 73.9
Coffeyville - 52.7
Parsons - 54.1
The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) samples only a handful of specific crimes, which allows for uniform comparison of data across city, state and regional lines. This system was created in 1928 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). It was then transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a means to establish a way to systematically measure crimes across the United States. The US Department of Justice publishes this data annually in the FBI Crime in the United States Report available on-line at: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm).
UCR Persons Crime Trends
| Assaults 2014 - 22 2015 - 59 2016 - 41 2017 - 32 2018 - 23 |
Robbery 2014 - 6 2015 - 3 2016 - 14 2017 - 6 2018 - 6 |
| Rape 2014 - 8 2015 - 8 2016 - 10 2017 - 10 2018 - 7 |
Homicide 2014 - 0 2015 - 2 2016 - 0 2017 - 2 2018 - 2 |
Total Report Taken 2014 - 2018
2014 - 2499
2015 - 2627
2016 - 2682
2017 - 2323
2018 - 2190
2018 Property Crime by Incident
Burglaries - 124
Theft - 336
Auto Theft - 33
2018 UCR Persons Crimes
Assault - 23
Robbery - 6
Rape - 7
Homicide - 2
Arrest Trends
| 2014 Total Arrests - 842 Felony - 105 Misdomeanor - 732 Drug Felony - 47 Drug Misomeanor - 133 Felony Warrant - 49 Misdomeanor Warrant - 135 |
2015 Total Arrests - 652 Felony - 117 Misdomeanor - 525 Drug Felony - 46 Drug Misomeanor - 58 Felony Warrant - 60 Misdomeanor Warrant - 188 |
2016 Total Arrests - 511 Felony - 96 Misdomeanor - 407 Drug Felony - 41 Drug Misomeanor - 47 Felony Warrant - 58 Misdomeanor Warrant - 177 |
| 2017 Total Arrests - 570 Felony - 144 Misdomeanor - 423 Drug Felony - 68 Drug Misomeanor - 52 Felony Warrant - 84 Misdomeanor Warrant - 185 |
2018 Total Arrests - 595 Felony - 134 Misdomeanor - 459 Drug Felony - 83 Drug Misomeanor - 64 Felony Warrant - 69 Misdomeanor Warrant - 236 |
2018-2014 Core Crime Stats
2018-2014 Assaults Core Crime Stats
2018 - 23
2017 - 32
2016 - 41
2015 - 59
2014 - 22
2018-2014 Battery Core Crime Stats
2018 - 243
2017 - 233
2016 - 286
2015 - 308
2014 - 284
2018-2014 Robbery Core Crime Stats
2018 - 6
2017 - 6
2016 - 14
2015 - 3
2014 - 6
2018-2014 Burglaries Core Crime Stats
2018 - 124
2017 - 161
2016 - 163
2015 - 157
2014 - 136
2018-2014 Rape Core Crime Stats
2018 - 7
2017 - 10
2016 - 10
2015 - 8
2014 - 8
2018-2014 Homicide Core Crime Stats
2018 - 2
2017 - 2
2016 - 0
2015 - 2
2014 - 0
Traffic Report
2018 Traffic Citation Data
2014 - 1676
2015 - 1739
2016 - 1665
2017 - 1335
2018 - 1876
Citations for the Parsons Police Department are fairly consistent with only a few ups and downs over the last 4 years. The trends have shown that the police department has always been well over 1200 total citations yearly and only in 2017 have the dropped below 1600 for the year. This can be accredited to a multitude of things such as; higher visibility, better compliance, or even more verbal warnings over written citations.
The break down for citations is interesting as well. The Pie Chart shows that 21% of all citations are for No Liability Insurance. This seems like a high percentage of uninsured drivers but it can also be misinterpreted since officers write the citations for not having proof of the insurance in the vehicle. If the driver has proof of the insurance and takes it to the municipal court they can have the charges dropped. The second greatest citation is Speeding. Speeding creates a higher probability of accidents due to not having sufficient time to slow or stop a vehicle. The Seatbelt violations are also high but the majority if those citations are written during the Click-It or Ticket enforcement period.
Percentages for the 1,861 Traffic Citations in 2018
No Insurance - 21%
Expired Tags - 10%
No Valid Drivers License - 4%
Speeding - 19%
Stop Signs - 5%
Defective Headlights - 3%
Seatbelts - 15%
Driving While Suspended - 5%
Other Violations - 18%
When making comparisons and graph data, the citations issued include several other types. In the citation total on page 14 of the Annual Report it states that there were 1,861 citation issued. That factor is total citations issued which
would be all citations including multiple counts on one hard copy of a citation and includes minor misdemeanor citations as well. The process for excluding and separating each citation is not feasible for reporting purposes. The statistics below on page 15 are the number of traffic stops that resulted in citations issued (1,213) and does not reflect multiple charges or misdemeanor citations issued.
This chart is important to show due to many police complaints deriving from traffic stops. The most complaints are that officers only write citations and do not give warnings. This chart shows that the Parsons Police Department is fair and equitable in the amount of citations that are written compared to the amount of warnings given.
Parsons Police Department averaged a percentage of 41.39% of traffic stops resulting in citations or enforcement actions.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) conducted a survey in 2015 and the national average was estimated at *49% of traffic stops resulting in citations or enforcement action. This puts Parsons Police below the national average for citations issued on traffic stops.
*This information was obtained from an outside source:
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cpp15.pdf
2018 Citation to Stop Ratio
Total Stops - 2,930
Total Stops with Issued Citation - 1,213
Percentage of Stops Resulting in Citation - 41.39%
1 Citation per 2.41 Stops
2014 - 2018 Crash Data by Month
| 2014 January - Between 30 and 35 February - Between 30 and 35 March - Between 20 and 25 April - Between 20 and 25 May - Between 25 and 30 June - Between 15 and 20 July - Between 25 and 30 August - Between 20 and 25 September - Between 15 and 20 October - Between 25 and 30 November - Between 20 and 25 December - Between 20 and 25 |
2015 January - Between 35 and 40 February - Between 30 and 35 March - Between 20 and 25 April - Between 35 and 40 May - Between 25 and 30 June - Between 15 and 20 July - Between 15 and 20 August - Between 20 and 25 September - Between 20 and 25 October - Between 15 and 20 November - Between 25 and 30 December - Between 20 and 25 |
2016 January - Between 25 and 30 February - Between 20 and 25 March - Between 20 and 25 April - Between 30 and 35 May - Between 20 and 25 June - Between 20 and 25 July - Between 30 and 35 August - Between 15 and 20 September - Between 20 and 25 October - Between 25 and 30 November - Between 20 and 25 December - Between 30 and 35 |
| 2017 January - Between 20 and 25 February - Between 10 and 15 March - Between 10 and 15 April - Between 15 and 20 May - Between 15 and 20 June - Between 20 and 25 July - Between 15 and 20 August - Between 15 and 20 September - Between 20 and 25 October - Between 25 and 30 November - Between 5 and 10 December - Between 25 and 30 |
2018 January - Between 10 and 15 February - Between 10 and 15 March - Between 10 and 15 April - Between 15 and 20 May - Between 10 and 15 June - Between 10 and 15 July - Between 10 and 15 August - Between 10 and 15 September - Between 5 and 10 October - Between 10 and 15 November - Between 10 and 15 December - Between 5 and 10 |
4 Year Crash Trend Data
2014 - 297
2015 - 306
2016 - 281
2017 - 234
2018 - 105
2018 Traffic Crash by Month
| January - 14 February - 15 March - 12 April - 17 May - 12 June - 14 |
July - 12 August - 14 September - 7 October - 11 November - 14 December - 8 |
Dispatch
Parsons 911 Statistics
The Parsons Police Department dispatch center is a 24 / 7 / 365 PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point), that is staffed by four full-time dispatchers and one dispatch supervisor. Dispatchers are often the first "first" responders and are almost always the first point of contact for any major emergency.
Our dispatch team has many duties such as; monitoring twenty-five cameras and six phone lines (three administrative and three NG911 (Next Generation 911) lines) as well as text to 911 and up to ten police, fire and EMS 800MHz radio channels at the same time. A single dispatcher will take caller information, prioritize calls, and dispatch officers in a 12 hour shift. All dispatchers are full access NCIC (National Crime Information Center) certified and dispatchers are responsible for running vehicle plates and person information, checking criminal history for criminal investigations, entering and confirming warrants and running serial numbers to check for stolen items.
Parsons Dispatch also monitors severe weather and NWS (National Weather Service) alerts and sound storm sirens when tornado warnings are issued. Dispatch is also the coordinating point to open storm shelters and is responsible for conducting weekly testing on storm siren equipment for the city. Dispatch staff is responsible for conducting hourly checks of inmates in our holding facility, which consists of three cells with four total beds, a detox cell and a holding cell.
Parsons Dispatch is also the first contact for the department when a citizen walks into the Police Department for assistance. They guide citizens to the help they need and officers to the needy and provide calming words to those who are in distress.
The Parsons Police Department Dispatch staff have a combined 17 years of dispatch experience and 27 years of total law enforcement experience and they are always continuing to improve their training and skill set to better serve the people of Parsons, Kansas. They strive to hold themselves and others to the Parsons Police Departments core values, PRIDE, PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION.
Dispatch Activity 2018
Admin Calls - 24,438
911 Calls - 1,737
Calls for Service - 17,927
10 Major Cities Ranked by Average Response Time
- San Francisco, CA - 5.46 minutes
- Houston, TX - 5.51 minutes
- Los Angeles, CA - 6.1 minutes
- New York City, NY - 6.69 minutes
- San Antonio, TX - 6.88 minutes
- Austin, TX - 7.15 minutes
- Dallas, TX - 8.39 minutes
- Seattle, WA - 9 minutes
- San Jose, CA - 9.2 minutes
- Fort Worth, TX - 9.5 minutes
Average Response Time
Priority 1 - 2.19 minutes
Priority 2 - 4.26 minutes
Priority 3 - 4.5 minutes
Priority 4 - 9.34 minutes
Calls for Service
2014 - 20,920
2015 - 19,676
2016 - 19,736
2017 - 18,099
2018 - 17,927
| Dispatched Incident - Break/Meal Break 2014 - 597 2015 - 578 2016 - 574 2017 - 365 2018 - 405 |
Dispatched Incident - Visitor 2014 - 0 2015 - 46 2016 - 34 2017 - 42 2018 - 8 |
Dispatched Incident - Police Escot 2014 - 431 2015 - 275 2016 - 293 2017 - 288 2018 - 277 |
Dispatched Incident - Arrest/Transport Male/Female 2014 - 80 2015 - 118 2016 - 121 2017 - 150 2018 - 119 |
| Dispatched Incident - Phone Call 2014 - 2 2015 - 49 2016 - 34 2017 - 40 2018 - 21 |
Dispatched Incident - Paper Service 2014 - 347 2015 - 558 2016 - 392 2017 - 355 2018 - 381 |
Dispatched Incident - Warrant Service 2014 - 244 2015 - 302 2016 - 272 2017 - 508 2018 - 497 |
Dispatched Incident - Vehicle Pursuit 2014 - 4 2015 - 10 2016 - 21 2017 - 19 2018 - 10 |
| Dispatched Incident - Traffic Stop 2014 - 3,290 2015 - 2,457 2016 - 2,252 2017 - 2,661 2018 - 2,943 |
Dispatched Incident - DUI/Drink Investigation 2014 - 103 2015 - 103 2016 - 89 2017 - 71 2018 - 82 |
Dispatched Incident - Non-Injury Accident 2014 - 303 2015 - 97 2016 - 304 2017 - 266 2018 - 247 |
Dispatched Incident - Injury Accident 2014 - 33 2015 - 35 2016 - 30 2017 - 28 2018 - 23 |
| Dispatched Incident - VIN Inspection 2014 - 370 2015 - 399 2016 - 354 2017 - 410 2018 - 424 |
Dispatched Incident - Civil Standby 2014 - 197 2015 - 210 2016 - 214 2017 - 169 2018 - 223 |
Dispatched Incident - Follow Up Investigation 2014 - 1,337 2015 - 1,322 2016 - 1,195 2017 - 1,161 2018 - 1,052 |
Dispatched Incident - Welfare Check 2014 - 265 2015 - 304 2016 - 313 2017 - 276 2018 - 326 |
| Dispatched Incident - Suspicious Persons 2014 - 574 2015 - 686 2016 - 723 2017 - 841 2018 - 784 |
Dispatched Incident - Suspicious Vehicle 2014 - 505 2015 - 574 2016 - 487 2017 - 505 2018 - 522 |
Dispatched Incident - Medical Response 2014 - 326 2015 - 350 2016 - 276 2017 - 237 2018 - 252 |
Dispatched Incident - Fire Report 2014 - 135 2015 - 117 2016 - 121 2017 - 97 2018 - 104 |
| Dispatched Incident - Range Time 2014 - 6 2015 - 3 2016 - 9 2017 - 11 2018 - 3 |
Dispatched Incident - Miscellaneous Call*** 2014 - 5,887 2015 - 4,660 2016 - 4,428 2017 - 3,301 2018 - 3,315 |
Dispatched Incident - Crime in Progress 2014 - 3 2015 - 14 2016 - 10 2017 - 17 2018 - 19 |
Dispatched Incident - Burglary in Progress 2014 - 20 2015 - 33 2016 - 7 2017 - 2 2018 - 9 |
| Dispatched Incident - Armed Robbery in Progress 2014 - 20 2015 - 33 2016 - 7 2017 - 2 2018 - 9 |
Dispatched Incident - Alarm Call 2014 - 381 2015 - 444 2016 - 397 2017 - 340 2018 - 322 |
Dispatched Incident - Fight in Progress 2014 - 191 2015 - 225 2016 - 230 2017 - 236 2018 - 230 |
Dispatched Incident - Domestic Fight 2014 - 394 2015 - 393 2016 - 355 2017 - 358 2018 - 387 |
| Dispatched Incident - Prowler 2014 - 5 2015 - 9 2016 - 4 2017 - 26 2018 - 8 |
Dispatched Incident - Jail Break*** 2014 - 0 2015 - 0 2016 - 1 2017 - 0 2018 - 1 |
Dispatched Incident - 911 Hang Up 2014 - 200 2015 - 348 2016 - 360 2017 - 166 2018 - 118 |
Dispatched Incident - School Zones*** 2014 - 0 2015 - 0 2016 - 216 2017 - 300 2018 - 397 |
| Dispatched Incident - Armed Person 2014 - 15 2015 - 8 2016 - 22 2017 - 11 2018 - 6 |
Dispatched Incident - Unattended Death 2014 - 5 2015 - 3 2016 - 9 2017 - 8 2018 - 10 |
Dispatched Incident - Report Call 2014 - 2,588 2015 - 2,686 2016 - 2,795 2017 - 2,514 2018 - 2,062 |
Dispatched Incident - Back Up Requested 2014 - 1 2015 - 0 2016 - 0 2017 - 1 2018 - 1 |
| Dispatched Incident - Unlock Vehicle 2014 - 2 2015 - 2 2016 - 1 2017 - 0 2018 - 2 |
Dispatched Incident - Unsecure Residence/Building 2014 - 104 2015 - 76 2016 - 87 2017 - 98 2018 - 115 |
Dispatched Incident - Shoplifter 2014 - 43 2015 - 19 2016 - 40 2017 - 34 2018 - 19 |
Dispatched Incident - Animal Call 2014 - 869 2015 - 898 2016 - 758 2017 - 385 2018 - 527 |
| Dispatched Incident - House Watch Call/Labette Health*** 2014 - 80 2015 - 5 2016 - 418 2017 - 379 2018 - 369 |
Dispatched Incident - Utilities Callout 2014 - 115 2015 - 114 2016 - 133 2017 - 92 2018 - 122 |
Dispatched Incident - Citizen Assist 2014 - 7 2015 - 6 2016 - 6 2017 - 3 2018 - 4 |
Dispatched Incident - Disabled Vehicle 2014 - 136 2015 - 103 2016 - 113 2017 - 95 2018 - 67 |
| Dispatched Incident - Green Tag Vehicle 2014 - 201 2015 - 92 2016 - 85 2017 - 75 2018 - 41 |
Dispatched Incident - Fire Works 2014 - 43 2015 - 29 2016 - 18 2017 - 37 2018 - 14 |
Dispatched Incident - Mental/Suicidal Person 2014 - 161 2015 - 223 2016 - 295 2017 - 183 2018 - 220 |
Dispatched Incident - Lock/Unlock Oakwood 2014 - 165 2015 - 221 2016 - 633 2017 - 628 2018 - 578 |
| Dispatched Incident - Shots Fired 2014 - 30 2015 - 64 2016 - 49 2017 - 62 2018 - 53 |
Dispatched Incident - Finger Prints*** 2014 - 0 2015 - 99 2016 - 214 2017 - 215 2018 - 182 |
Dispatched Incident - Dead Animal 2014 - 124 2015 - 107 2016 - 90 2017 - 31 2018 - 20 |
Dispatched Incident - Storm Siren Testing*** 2014 - 0 2015 - 0 2016 - 0 2017 - 0 2018 - 5 |
***Incidents Reported only reflect what is reported to Dispatch. Some incidents are recorded incorrectly due to error or incorrect reporting
2018 Evidence and Records with Jason Bennett
My primary function is the Records Clerk. My job includes completing activities and operations in the Police Records Unit which are recording, copying, disseminating and storing of confidential police records in accordance with federal and state laws, and city policy and procedures. I act as a Custodian of Police Records by performing research and data retrieval in response to Police Records Dissemination requests. I also deal with the general public often as the first point of contact for the Police Department. I respond to questions and requests for information and resolve problems related to police records and the records management computer system. I receive and process delivery of mail, receive and coordinate delivery of packages and documents.
I also act as the Evidence Custodian my job includes being responsible for maintaining the chain of custody of submitted items with regards to storage and transportation of property and evidence to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations (KBI) crime lab, evidence room, court, return items to owners and victims and destruction of these items.
Since 2010 the number of property items submitted has been 15,343. We currently house 12,173 evidence items.
2016 - 3190
2017 - 3073
2018 - 2656
2016
Pieces of Evidence - 1606
Found Property - 389
Property Destroyed/Returned - 400
2017
Pieces of Evidence - 1475
Found Property - 249
Property Destroyed/Returned - 589
2018
Pieces of Evidence - 1463
Found Property - 172
Property Destroyed/Returned - 124
Animal Control Officer Scott Swezey
The trends you see with Animal Control have been inconsistent with the amount of reports due to loosing the Animal Impound in October of 2016. It was not until mid 2018 that the City of Parsons was able to establish a housing facility for Animals. Since re-establishing an impound for animals at large, the numbers have dropped from what we saw in 2015.
We are hoping that the downward trend is due to pet owners taking more responsibility for their, animals and neighborhoods laying claim to their own by networking and informing each other when they see known pets out and about. This brings about the change we all hope and desire for our pet population.
| 2015 Total Calls - 1316 Request for ACO - 826 Dogs Picked Up - 222 Cats Picked Up - 55 Dead Animals Picked Up - 265 Confinement Orders - 3 Trapped Pigeons - 0 Animal Bites - 4 Animals Taken to VET - 277 Citations Issued - 3 |
2016 Total Calls - 1176 Request for ACO - 654 Dogs Picked Up - 136 Cats Picked Up - 47 Dead Animals Picked Up - 281 Confinement Orders - 3 Trapped Pigeons - 0 Animal Bites - 3 Animals Taken to VET - 183 Citations Issued - 2 |
| 2017 Total Calls - 941 Request for ACO - 215 Dogs Picked Up - 4 Cats Picked Up - 0 Dead Animals Picked Up - 199 Confinement Orders - 4 Trapped Pigeons - 0 Animal Bites - 4 Animals Taken to VET - 4 Citations Issued - 4 |
2018 Total Calls - 1109 Request for ACO - 474 Dogs Picked Up - 81 Cats Picked Up - 41 Dead Animals Picked Up - 230 Confinement Orders - 2 Trapped Pigeons - 13 Animal Bites - 3 Animals Taken to VET - 112 Citations Issued - 2 |
Police Department Vehicles
Fleet Update
The Parsons Police Department currently has a total of 17 vehicle in the fleet. 7 of them are patrol vehicle that are driven by patrol officers. There is one vehicle assigned to a position in the department. The Sergeant, Corporal, Senior Patrolman, East Sector, West Sector, with the two remaining highest mileage vehicles being used as backup in case a vehicle is wrecked, needs service or repairs. The two remaining vehicles also serve as extras for specialty patrols such as Click It or Ticket or any of the added DUI campaigns. They are also use as transport vehicles for officers that are call in for duty to conduct specialty transports to other agencies or facilities. As the following charts show the patrol vehicles are used beyond that of a normal vehicle, with them being driven in one month more than
some cars are driven in an entire year.
The average patrol car is driven approximately 2,495 miles per month. That figure would be considerably higher but the miles
that are collected are only on the current fleet and lacks the information from the previous vehicles as shown in the charts.
Sergeants and Corporals are the shift supervisors and have a considerable amount of administrative duties that keep their individual miles lower than that of a Sector or a Senior Patrolman's vehicle. The School Resource Officer also has an older used Crown Victoria for his duties at the schools. The rest of the Fleet as assigned are three detective cars that have been breaking more frequently. Those cars were bought used and have no warranty to offset the cost of major repairs.
The LST or (Logistics Support Truck) is relatively a low mileage vehicle but is in need up updating its equipment. The department uses the LST for a staging point for events such as Katy Days. It is also taken to venues such as Touch-A-Truck and the Parsons Christmas Parade. Its primary function is used as an evidence collection point for serious crimes and a command center for large scale investigations. The LST has antiquated radio system that
needs to be updated and refreshed. With a computer and new communication equipment the Parsons Police Department can have a mobile dispatch center in the event of a natural disaster.
The Police Department also maintains the ACO's (Animal Control Officer) vehicle as a part of the fleet. With the ACO's truck we have added a new and updated animal transport box with a fan system ventilation and lights. The former ACO vehicle has been added to the
fleet as an added resource for the departments function.
The remaining vehicles that the Department maintains is the Chief of Police, Assistant Chiefs vehicles along with a travel car. The travel car is used for officers to attend training or be present at other events without taking an assigned Patrol Car out of service.
Patrol Car Miles Driven per Year
| Vehicle 1 2015 - NEW 2016 - 17,336 2017 - 30,880 2018 - 17,813 Average per Year - 22,010 |
Vehicle 2 2015 - N/A 2016 - NEW 2017 - 8,677 2018 - 33,545 Average per Year - 21,111 |
Vehicle 3 2015 - N/A 2016 - N/A 2017 - NEW 2018 - 15,717 Average per Year - 15,717 |
| Vehicle 4 2015 - N/A 2016 - N/A 2017 - NEW 2018 - 19,450 Average per Year - 19,450 |
Vehicle 5 2015 - NEW 2016 - 19,242 2017 - 29,858 2018 - 40,511 Average per Year - 23,448 |
Vehicle 6 2015 - N/A 2016 - NEW 2017 - 9,427 2018 - 33,182 Average per Year - 15,608 |
| Vehicle 7 2015 - 7,790 2016 - 16,841 2017 - 31,626 2018 - 15,119 Average per Year - 14,696 |
Patrol Car Miles Driven per Month
| Vehicle 1 2015 - NEW 2016 - 3,467 2017 - 2,573 2018 - 1,484 Average per Month - 2,508 |
Vehicle 2 2015 - 0 2016 - NEW 2017 - 2,169 2018 - 2,795 Average per Month - 2,482 |
Vehicle 3 2015 - 0 2016 - 0 2017 - NEW 2018 - 1,965 Average per Month - 1,965 |
| Vehicle 4 2015 - 0 2016 - 0 2017 - NEW 2018 - 2,431 Average per Month - 2,431 |
Vehicle 5 2015 - NEW 2016 - 3,848 2017 - 2,486 2018 - 3,376 Average per Month - 2,950 |
Vehicle 6 2015 - 0 2016 - NEW 2017 - 2,357 2018 - 2,765 Average per Month - 2,410 |
| Vehicle 7 2015 - 1,298 2016 - 1,403 2017 - 2,636 2018 - 1,260 Average per Month - 1,530 |
Current Department Vehicle Mileage
| Patrol Car 1 - 66,468 Patrol Car 2 - 42,389 Patrol Car 3 - 18,938 Patrol Car 4 - 22,727 Patrol Car 5 - 94,280 Patrol Car 6 - 47,095 |
Patrol Car 7 - 74,183 Old ACO (8) - 116,130 Detective (9) - 95,484 Detective (10) - 67,362 Travel Car (11) - 102,410 SRO (12) - 84,924 |
LST (13) - 35,756 Chief of Police (14) - 38,348 ACO (15) - 99,818 Detective (19) - 77,628 Deputy Chief (20) - 43,763 |
Learn more about your Parsons Police Department by visiting
www.parsonspd.com
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