7.17.23 – Kansas Reflector -TOPEKA
Reports of burglary, murder and rape declined statewide in 2022, according to an annual report, though numbers have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s annual Crime Index Report compiles data from law enforcement agencies to look at crime trends.
The 2022 crime index report showed a 4.3% decrease in violent crime statewide from 2021, with 12,849 reported violent crimes, such as robbery, aggravated assault and rape. In 2022, there were 163 reported murders, 21.5% of which stemmed from domestic violence murders.
While this report marks a 5.8% decrease in murder from 2021, it is still 28.3% higher than the 2019 pre‐COVID average of 127 murders.
In 2022, 1,160 rapes, 10,985 assaults and more than 1,000 robberies were reported.
While the 2022 violent crime rate is 9.2% above the state’s 10-year-average after a pandemic spike in crime rates, the agency found violent crime has started to level off in the past two years after rising steadily since 2014.
Numbers for every violent crime category decreased from 2021 to 2022.
In 2021, the state had 13,422 reported violent crimes. More than 80% of violent crimes for the year were aggravated assault or battery, with rape, murder and robbery accounting for the other 18.2% of reported violent crimes.
In the past year, the rate of reported property crimes also declined, dropping by 10% since 2021, though the agency warned that property crimes are likely to be underreported. The year 2022 had the lowest number of recorded property crimes since 1973.
In 2022, there were 45,303 thefts and 15,822 burglary and motor vehicle thefts reported. There was a 27.4% decline in robberies from the 10‐year average and a 3.2% decline from 2021.
The number of reported arsons also dropped in 2022 with 470 reported cases, a 17.8% decrease from the 10‐year average. In 2021, there were 512 arson cases reported.
A graduate of Louisiana State University, Rachel Mipro has covered state government in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. She and her fellow team of journalists were 2022 Goldsmith Prize Semi-Finalists for their work featuring the rise of the KKK in northern Louisiana, following racially-motivated shootings in 1960. With her move to the Midwest, Rachel is now turning her focus toward issues within Kansas public policies.MORE FROM AUTHOR