Violent crime is down in Kansas but up in Topeka. Property crime hit a 50-year low

Jason Alatidd, Topeka Capital-Journal
·6 min read

Kansas has released new crime statistics showing violent crime decreased in the state for the second year in a row, while property crime hit a 50-year low.

And while property crime has also been declining in Topeka, violent crime has been on the rise in the capital city.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation on Monday released the 2022 crime index report, covering certain crimes reported in the past calendar year. Crimes so far this year are not included.

Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault and battery. Property crimes include burglary, theft and motor vehicle thefts.

Other crimes, such as drug charges, are not included in the KBI crime index, which is based on definitions from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Violent crime down in Kansas, but up in Topeka

Newly released crime statistics show declining numbers of both property crimes and violent crimes in Kansas. But in Topeka, violent crime is increasing while property crime is decreasing.
Newly released crime statistics show declining numbers of both property crimes and violent crimes in Kansas. But in Topeka, violent crime is increasing while property crime is decreasing.

Violent crime went down in Kansas for the second straight year, reversing what had been a multi-year trend of rising violent crime that peaked in 2020. Even with the recent drops in violent crime, the index remains 9.5% above the 10-year average.

"Violent crime in Kansas had been steadily rising each year since 2014, but seems to have started to level off," the KBI said.

Kansas recorded 12,849 violent crimes in 2022, for a rate of 4.4 per 1,000 people. The rate was 4.6 in 2021 and 4.7 in 2020, with a 10-year average of 4.0.

Topeka had the second-highest crime rate of any city in the state. The 1,257 violent crimes reported in 2022 was a rate of 10 per 1,000 people, up from 8.7 in 2021, 7.2 in 2020, 7.3 in 2019 and 6.1 in 2018.

The 10 highest violent crime rates per 1,000 people in 2022 were:

  • Junction City: 10.4

  • Topeka: 10.0

  • Horton: 9.9

  • Kansas City, Kan.: 9.9

  • Minneapolis: 9.6

  • Osage City: 9.5

  • Wichita: 9.3

  • Iola: 8.3

  • Parsons: 7.3

  • Mulberry: 7.2

"The KBI cautions against using data to make direct comparisons between jurisdictions," the KBI said. "Often these comparisons are not valid as the factors influencing crime vary widely between communities."

The report notes that some agencies failed to submit data and others did not submit complete data. While both the Topeka Police Department and Shawnee County Sheriff's Office provided a full year of data, Rossville police provided no data. Partially complete data was provided by police departments in Silver Lake, Auburn, the airport authority and Seaman, Shawnee Heights and Auburn-Washburn school districts.

"The data represents the most accurate information available, reflecting crime as reported by law enforcement agencies through the Kansas Incident Based Reporting System," the KBI report states.

The data also does not include crimes not reported to law enforcement.

Kansas and Topeka violent crime statistics

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports that violent crime totals dropped in 2022 for the second straight year, reversing a years-long trend of rising violent crime.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports that violent crime totals dropped in 2022 for the second straight year, reversing a years-long trend of rising violent crime.

Violent crime trends are largely based on aggravated assault and battery, which are by far the most common violent crimes in Kansas.

The 10,484 aggravated assaults and batteries statewide in 2022 was down from 10,985 in 2021 and 11,201 in 2020, but above the 10-year average of 9,015.

Kansas recorded 163 FBI-defined murders in 2022, which was down from 173 in 2021 and 193 in 2020. Murders remain above the 10-year average of 148.

"These decreases may be a positive indicator, but they are far from the much lower pre‐pandemic rates," the KBI said.

"Finding a common circumstance for these murders is difficult, as 42.9% of the reports indicated 'unknowncircumstance,'" the KBI said. "Also, 20.2% of the murders listed an unknown suspect. Arguments, as a circumstance,accounted for 20.9% of murders; illegal drug transactions totaled 5.5%; and gang activity and drive‐by incidentsmade up 3.1%. All other circumstances totaled 27.6% of the total murders in 2022. Domestic violence murdersaccounted for 21.5% of the 2022 murder total."

More: What Kansas governor and attorney general candidates say about new violent crime numbers

The 1,160 rapes reported in 2022 was down from 1,187 in 2021 and 1,190 in 2020, and slightly below the 10-year average of 1,165.

The 1,042 robberies reported in 2022 was down from 1,077 in 2021, 1,312 in 2020 and the 10-year average of 1,436.

The increase in violent crime in Topeka is also attributable to aggravated assaults and batteries:

  • The 15 murders in 2022 is down from 16 in 2021 and 20 in 2020, but up from 13 in 2019 and 14 in 2018.

  • The 51 rapes in 2022 is down from 64 in 2021, 66 in 2020, 83 in 2019 and 86 in 2018.

  • The 120 robberies in 2022 is down from 126 in 2021, 213 in 2020, 252 in 2019 and 255 in 2018.

  • The 1,071 aggravated assaults and batteries in 2022 is up from 878 in 2021, 607 in 2020, 570 in 2019 and 417 in 2018.

Kansas property crime hits 50-year low amid declining trend

Property crimes have long been declining in Kansas, and in 2022 hit a 50-year low. Kansas recorded 61,125 property crimes in 2022, the lowest since 1973, when there were 75,123.

The statewide property crime rate was 20.8 per 1,000 people.

The 8,264 burglaries in Kansas in 2022 was a 15.2% drop from 2021 and below the 10-year average of 12,655.

"Some criminologists have attempted to explain the recent declines by noting that people have been spending more time at home due to the COVID‐19 pandemic," the KBI reported.

More: 'More time in prison and less time terrorizing people': Kansas cracks down on gun crimes

The 45,303 thefts were an 8.8% drop from 2021 and below the 10-year average of 55,084.

The 7,558 motor vehicle thefts was 11.2% below 2021 and below the 10-year average of 7,698.

"This statistic is notable," the KBI said, "because motor vehicle thefts tend to have a relatively high rate of reporting compared to other property offenses, suggesting they would be a more accurate barometer of the actual number of property offenses occurring in our state."

In Topeka:

  • The city recorded 5,163 property crimes in 2022, for a rate of 41.1 per 1,000 people. That is down from 43.1 in 2021, 47.6 in 2020, 55.7 in 2019 and 52.3 in 2018.

  • The 659 burglaries in 2022 is down from 829 in 2021, 821 in 2020, 1,012 in 2019 and 983 in 2018.

  • The 3,754 thefts in 2022 is compared to 3,686 in 2021, 4,116 in 2020, 5,004 in 2019 and 4,897 in 2018.

  • The 750 motor vehicle thefts in 2022 is down from 843 in 2021, 1,019 in 2020, 981 in 2019 and 735 in 2018.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports that property crime totals dropped in 2022, continuing a years-long trend of declining property crime.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports that property crime totals dropped in 2022, continuing a years-long trend of declining property crime.

What is the crime rate in my community?

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has annual crime index statistics online dating back to 2003. More information on crime in your community is available there, with statistics broken down by county and by local police departments.

Jason Alatidd is a statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jtidd@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jason_Alatidd.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas crime statistics show declines in violent crime, property crime