City of Wichita - Patrol East 39 Beat

Officer Matthew Lowe
Community Policing
Beat Coordinator
Email me here

Last Updated for: June, 2008 39 BEAT NEWS

Published by Officer M. L. Lowe
Patrol East Community Policing
350 S. Edgemoor, Wichita KS 67218
Work: 688-9300
E-mail: mlowe@wichita.gov

National Night Out
Wichita residents are once again invited to join thousands of other communities across America in supporting a unique, coast-to coast crime prevention project on August 5th, 2008 to give neighborhood crime and drugs a "going away" party. On August 5th from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m., residents city wide and across the nation, will be asked to turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside on their block.

Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness.
Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs.
Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.
Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Generate support for starting Neighborhood watch groups.

National Night Out 2008 Schedule:

Thursday, July 31st 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Public Kick Off at "All Star Sports East"
FREE Admission
Reduced Ticket Prices
Media Sponsor: Power 93.9 (Entercom)

Friday, August 1st
KEYN Summer Concert Series in Old Town

Saturday, August 2nd 7:00 pm
Old Town Concert and Motorcycle Rally
(Motorcycle Rally Participants are by invitation only)
Sponsor: T-95 and 104.5 The Fox

Sunday, August 3rd 8:30 am - 5:30 pm
Safe & Secure Day at the Sedgwick County Zoo
Half Price Admission
Sponsor: 101.3 KFDI

Monday, August 4th
Safe & Secure Day at Open Wichita Public Pools
(please check here for schedules)

Tuesday, August 5th
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT BLOCK PARTY TIME
Register your block party online here.
Or call the WPD Community Affairs Section at 268-4101
(make sure if you want to block off your street you fill out the form below the "Register Button")
Have a pot luck dinner, a BBQ, an ice cream social or whatever your neighbors want to contribute. Discuss neighborhood issues over good food and good company.
Emergency services such as Police, Fire, and EMS will be provided a list of registered block parties so they can stop by to say, "Hello." Discuss issues you've seen in your neighborhood and help us help you improve the quality of life.

Tuesday, August 5th
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
National Baseball Congress Block Party in the Bud Pavilion
Fireworks Display

PRE-National Night Out Activities

Safety Fair at Wichita Target Stores
Saturday, July 12th
21st/Greenwich 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
301 S. Armor 3:00 pm -7:00 pm
Sunday, July 13th
29th/Maize 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Maple/Ridge 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Thursday, July 17th
Seniors BINGO
Wichita Rec Center (TBA - Check here for updates)
Sponsor: Mental Health Association

Saturday, July 19th
Texas Hold 'Em Tournament with the Amateur Poker League
Proceeds benefit the Law Enforcement Memorial
(Limited slots, register via mtennyson@wichita.gov)

REGISTER YOUR BLOCK PARTY NOW
Help Wichita to become a

Welcome to your 39 Beat Webpage
Thank you for visiting your 39 Beat Webpage. The information below details out the crime trends the police department is seeing in your area. I hope you find the site useful and will continue to use it as a resource. If you do not find what you are looking for, email me: MLOWE@WICHITA.GOV

Ask a Cop
Is there a question you've always wanted to ask a police officer but haven't? Is there something going on in your neighborhood that effects your quality of life and you're not sure if it is illegal or a violation of city ordinance? You can ask me! I can post your questions and the answers here in case others are wondering the same thing. Contact me at 688-9300 or by email.

Example:
Q. Can my 16 year old get pulled over if he isn't wearing his seatbelt?
A. Yes. New state law went into effect that makes seatbelts a primary violation for persons in the car from 14 years old to 17 years old.

The Crime Trends
BURGLARY
While burglaries on 39 beat have gone down slightly in the last month, don't think that you can let your guard down. Stay security conscience! Maintain multi-layers of security for your family and your home to reduce the chance of becoming a victim. Remember the following:

Lock all doors and windows
Always close garage doors, even if you are home for a brief moment
Never leave your garage door opener inside vehicles you park outside
Keep lights on at night
Communicate with your neighbors
Call 911 if things seem out of place or if a crime is occurring

You are our eyes and ears. You can make a huge difference in a Safe and Secure Community. It starts in your homes ad neighborhoods. Getting involved with a Neighborhood Watch can reduce crimes in your area. Call Officer Tennyson in Community Affairs for more information and to set up a presentation.
Community Affairs 268-4101

THEFTS FROM VEHICLES
It's quick, it's easy, it's happening everywhere, and you can make have a huge impact in preventing it. It only takes a few seconds to open your unlocked car door, reach in through a window or sunroof, or even break out a window to take your:

Purse
Wallet
GPS Unit
Cell Phone
CD Player
DVD Player
IPOD
Laptop

Leaving these items in your car will increase your chances of being a victim, period. Don't leave valuables in cars! The GPS units are an expensive electronic item, but it is not attached to your car. Take if off your window and conceal it or take it with you if it's small enough. We are seeing a lot of these units being stolen because they are visible and easy to take. Other things to do to reduce your chances of being a victim are to park in well lit areas at night if possible, lock your doors, roll up all your windows, and close sun roofs.

BUSINESS BURGLARIES
It's hard to make sure your business is safe when you're gone. Burglars take advantage of the fact no one is around. However, there are prevention measures you can take to reduce your risk and look less attractive to burglars:

Never leave cash in the registers
Always leave register drawers open to show it's not worth breaking in to your business
Ensure that your lighting, both inside and out, are in good working order
Special film for glass can be applied so as not to allow items to be thrown through it
Business Watch

Starting a business watch in your area can reduce your risks because you have more eyes watching out for your property when you aren't there. Call Officer Tennyson with the Community Affairs section to get information on Business Watch or to set up a FREE Security Survey to tell you what you're doing well and where you need help. The survey works and it's free!
Community Affairs 268-4101

IDENTITY THEFT
Thieves can obtain your information many ways, don't make it easier for them. Here are some general rules to reduce your risk of having your identity stolen:

Mail Theft
Always bring in your mail
Never use your mailbox for outgoing. That little red flag invites thieves right to your outgoing checks
Always hand deliver outgoing mail to your mail courier or use a drop box
Going on vacation? Have your mail and newspapers put on hold as not to advertise you're not at home
When discarding mail, shred anything with personal information on it. Criminals have no scruples about digging in the trash for your information

The Web
Always use trusted websites
Never reply to emails from strangers
If you get a phone call or an email from your credit card company stating your account has been breached, do not give out information they should already have. Call back to a number you know
Follow this simple rule, "If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is."
Set up a "Fraud Alert" through one of the credit reporting agencies:

Equifax
Experian
Transunion

For more information or if you have been a victim, check out these resources:

U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Federal Trade Commission
US Secret Service
Department of Justice
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
American Express
Discover
MasterCard
Visa

Summer Time Crime Awareness
When walking or jogging, be aware of your surrounds. Jog with a friend if at all possible. Avoid unlit streets, vacant lots, and unpopulated areas. Stick to well lit traveled areas like malls and businesses in your area. Wearing headphones can be a distraction and may cause you to let your guard down or prevent you from hearing traffic.

General Information
BARKING DOGS PROCEDURE
In accordance to Ordinance 6.04.040(d)(6), it is unlawful to: "Keep or harbor any animal which, by loud, frequent or habitual barking, howling, yelping or other noise or action, unreasonably disturbs any person or neighborhood thin the corporate limits of the city. To effect legal relief, persons so affected directly may sign a complaint at the Department of Environmental Services". To comply with the ordinance, the following information is needed to file a complaint at the Department of Environmental Services:

1. Name, date of birth, and address of the offending person who owns or harbors the dog/animal
2. Date and time when the offense (or incident) occurred
3. Location of the incident

If the citizen does not have the above information, they should call 911 and request that a police officer to come to their address to obtain the offender's information, they should call the Police Department Case Desk at 268-4216 to file a police incident report. The citizen should then allow three to five days for the incident to be entered into the computer system. After that time, the report should be available from the Police Department Central Records Bureau (268-4186). To file the complaint with the Department of Environmental Services:

1. Obtain a copy of the police incident case report by contacting the Police Record's Bureau at 268-4186.
2. Come to the Department of Environmental Services at 1900 E 9th to file the complaint.
3. Furnish a sworn affidavit for the incident. Environmental Services has notaries available for this purpose.
4. Sign a Universal Complaint Citation form (UCC) and have it notarized.
5. Furnish a list of witnesses to be subpoenaed and their current valid addresses. The list will always include the complainant and their current address, as well as any other witnesses, including the responding PD officer who made the incident report if applicable.

After the above steps, the complaint will be filed with the Municipal Court and entered as an unserved complaint, to be served by the Wichita Police Department Warrant Office and a court date will be assigned. Be advised that the citizen will be required to attend court on the dates subpoenaed. Failure to attend their court date(s) will result in dismissal of the complaint filed, and may result in the complaining citizen being charged with contempt of court.

PORTABLE BASKETBALL GOALS
Basketball is fun and a great source for exercise. However, the very popular portable basketball goals are being set up in neighborhoods adjacent to traffic ways causing a wide range of problems. First there is the safety aspect. Playing in the street is a dangerous practice and should be avoided altogether. Second, theses goals can become a nuisance problem for neighborhoods. Players not moving out of the way for vehicles in the roadway, loud players as well as loud music late at night, as well as blight issues can all hurt the morale and image for the neighborhood. For violations of basketball goals, please read the following:

1. Contact ANY city of Wichita employee and report the violation as well as the address to them.
2. The city employee will call or email Engineering Division's Linda Firsching at 268-4418, or lfirsching@wichita.gov with the address of the violation.
3. Linda Firsching will log the complaint in a database and assigned to a sidewalk inspector who will verify the violation with a photograph.
4. Notifications will be provided to the residence and compliance checks will begin.
5. Continued violations will be subjected to fines and possibly removal of the goal by city employees.

If you are a parent responsible for one of these goals, please be responsible and assure that the basketball goal is not contributing to a dangerous environment or contributing to a nuisance problem. If you are a citizen that wants to report problems arising from a portable basketball goal, follow the steps above.

THE 39 BEAT OFFICERS
Community Policing
Officer Lowe
First Shift
Officer Crafton
Officer Sundquist
Second Shift
Officer Heyen
Third Shift
Officer Cox
Fourth Shift
Officer Lewis
SCAT
Officer Noack

CRIME STATISTICS
Curious about crime in your neighborhood, or the whole city? Check out these information resources:

Kansas.com
Wichita Eagle's Thursday Paper
Or the interactive GIS Public Website

HANDY NUMBERS
East Station
688-9300
SCAT (drug enforcement and gang suppression unit)
267-SCAT
Crime Stoppers
267-2111
Citizen's Police Academy
838-9611
Warrant Office
268-4231
Environmental Services
268-8351
Animal Control
268-8473

WICHITA POLICE DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The Wichita Police Department's mission is to provide professional and ethical public safety services in partnership with citizens to identify, prevent, and solve the problems of crime, fear of crime, social disorder, and neighborhood decay, thereby improving the quality of life in our community.

Sunday, July 20, 2008 :: Currently 77 degrees in Wichita