The Ark City Police Department says overall crime deceased in the city in 2022 compared to the previous year.
“The Kansas Bureau of Investigation recently released crime index numbers for communities in Kansas for 2022,” a news release from the ACPD stated Friday. “Arkansas City saw a decrease in the overall crime index from 41.2 in 2021 to 31.3 in 2022.”
The rate is calculated annually on the number of violent and property crimes reported to the KBI, the ACPD said. The total number of crimes dipped from 475 in 2021 to 373 in 2022. That number is the lowest recorded over several years, dating back to 2019.
The highest recorded in that four-year span was in 2019, with 531 crimes with an index of 45.3.
“The 2022 stats for Arkansas City did show a spike in violent crimes from the previous two years,” the ACPD said. “Again, 2019 was the highest in the four-year span, with an index of 5.5. Arkansas City showed an increase in the violent crime index from 4.5 in 2021 to 5.0 in 2022.”
Reported aggravated assault cases were a primary culprit for the increase.
Ark City reported 57 cases in 2022, while there were 43 reported in 2021.
A substantial decrease in the property crime index helped bring the overall index in Ark City down for 2022. A total of 313 property crimes reported in 2022 resulted in an index of 26.3.
Likewise, a total of 475 property crimes were reported in 2021, with an index of 36.7.
A drastic reduction in burglary and theft cases helped drive the index number down for 2022 in Ark City. Burglary cases totaled 41; theft cases came in at 247 for 2022. In 2021, burglaries numbered 66, with thefts registering 335 cases.
The number of burglaries has dwindled each year since 2019, when they came in at 84 total cases.
“The numbers for property crimes are encouraging,” ACPD Chief Eric Burr said in the news release. “The relationship between the community and the department has increased communications to the point that we are receiving information to help us solve crimes. Additionally, the hard work of the officers and investigators at the Arkansas City Police Department has contributed greatly to the reduction over time.
“More work will need to be done in the area of violent crime. With the aggravated assault numbers on the rise, we plan to continue to be proactive when it comes to weapons violations.”
