Abbreviation WPD Population 361,420 (2006) | Employees 862 | |
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Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* City of Wichita in the state of Kansas, USA Size 138.9 square miles (360 km) | ||
The Wichita Police Department (WPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving the City of Wichita, Kansas, United States. WPD's jurisdiction overlaps with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office.The WPD is housed at the City Hall building located at 455 N Main, Wichita, Kansas.
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Current chief
The current chief is Chief Gordon Ramsay. Chief Ramsay was appointed as chief on 18 December 2015, and was sworn in as Chief of Police, relieving Interim Chief Nelson Mosley, in January 2016. The original town of Wichita was incorporated in July 1870 and was elevated to City status in April 1871. The Wichita Police Department was officially created on April 13, 1871. Wyatt Earp was a documented notable Police officer in WPD history in 1875.
The Wichita Police Department participated in a Stop Study in 2001 in conjunction with Brian Withrow, Ph.D, Wichita State University to evaluate if WPD officers show differential patterns of enforcement based on race or ethnicity. The report was released in 2002 did not substantiate any evidence of racial or ethnic profiling by the officers of the WPD.
Investigation Division
The investigation division consists of the following Bureaus and Sections:
Property Crimes Bureau
The Property Crimes Bureau consists of the following sections:
Crimes Against Persons Bureau
The Crimes Against Persons Bureau consists of the following sections:
Special Investigations Bureau
The Special Investigations Bureau consists of two sections:
Patrol Division
The City of Wichita is divided into 4 bureaus for field patrol officers and substations have been established in each of the areas for a closer connection to the neighborhoods they serve.
Plans for a fifth bureau, meant to serve mid-town Wichita, are being reviewed by the City Council.
Air section
The first purchase of a WPD helicopter to combat increasing crime was in 1970 with the purchase of a Hughes 300B. Today the air section has one MD500E helicopter and four people attached to the unit working on staggered schedules. According to the WPD's website, the air section “coordinates and supports the operational activities of ground units by assisting with apprehensions, vehicle pursuits, foot chases, criminal investigations, traffic control, search-and-rescue, crime prevention, community-oriented policing activities, and special community events.” Only twelve other departments in the country match the longevity of the Wichita Police Department's Air Section according to Air Beat Magazine
Demographics
Breakdown of the makeup of the rank and file of WPD:
New recruit training
New recruits have been trained simultaneously with the recruits from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office since 1985 at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Center (WSCLETC). Training consists of 23 weeks of basic training and an additional 336 hours of training for the particular needs of the Metropolitan City of Wichita.
Notable events in WPD history
The WPD was in the forefront of the national news for the BTK (Bind, Torture and Kill) serial killer case that spanned 1974-1978 in which 10 people were murdered and ended with his arrest and conviction in 2005. A blood sample from his daughter was used to confirm DNA tests that linked Rader to ten killings committed between 1974 and 1991 Dennis Rader. Ken Landwehr became the department's expert on the BTK killer case so the Wichita Police Department's Chief of Police Norman D. Williams assigned Landwehr to head the BTK Task Force.
A notable event in WPD's history was the Herman Hill riot on Easter Sunday, 1979, at a park called Herman Hill, where 88 people were arrested and at least 51 were injured.
The Wichita Police Department in conjunction with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation filed the very first Federal Racketeering case 09/28/07 in the State of Kansas' history. Two indictments name 28 defendants - all Crips Gang members, citing 4 murders, 11 attempted murders and other crimes including arson, robbery, cocaine and Crack cocaine possession with intent to distribute and transportation of minors to engage in prostitution. According to the indictment, the Crips formed a criminal enterprise engaging in illegal activities including narcotics trafficking, drive-by shootings and burglaries; sought to preserve and expand their power through intimidation, threats and assaults; attempted to preserve and protect themselves from interference by law enforcement; and tried to keep their victims in fear through violence and threats.
Awards
The WPD was honored to receive awards including:
1991 Police Chief Rick Stone named "Law Enforcement Officer of the Year".
The United States Department of Justice Marshal's Service selected Wichita Police Chief Rick Stone for this honor "on the basis of outstanding professionalism and law enforcement leadership". At the award ceremony in the nation's capitol, Chief Stone passed the credit on to his officers and staff.
2003 Webber Seavey Excellence in Law Enforcement Award for the “Planeview Project” in recognition for promoting a standard of excellence that exemplifies law enforcement's contribution and dedication to the quality of life in local communities. The award is named for Webber S. Seavey, first president of the IACP (International Association of Chiefs of Police). According to the IACP, "the problem oriented policing “Planeview Project” was developed and implemented to address an increase in violent crime in the Planeview area of Wichita. The project set the following goals: reduce violent and juvenile crime, enhance citizen relationships, develop partnerships with key stakeholders, address neighborhood blight and instill a sense of pride and ownership in the area. Through a number of sustained policing strategies, the Project yielded impressive results in 2002. Juvenile crime dropped 32 percent from June through September, auto burglaries fell by 12 percent and residential burglaries were reduced by 3 percent during the same time period. In addition, larcenies dropped by 8 percent and vandalism - including graffiti - decreased by 9 percent. There has not been a homicide in Planeview since December 31, 2001. Aggravated assaults dropped by 57 percent and simple assaults by 78 percent in 2002."
2003 Boy Scouts of America Whitney Young Jr Community Service Award
Camp Awareness is supported by the Wichita Police Department and the Boy Scouts of America. This camp is a four-day camp for boys' between the ages of 7 and 10 that are not in the Cub Scout Program. The boys are recruited through schools and other community organizations. Summer day camp activities include swimming, archery, arts and crafts and field games.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Wichita Police Department, 19 officers have died in the line of duty.
A memorial was originally erected on McLean Blvd. to honor all local Sedgwick County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty which was subsequently eliminated as traffic patterns were changed. A Law Enforcement Memorial Committee is actively working to build another memorial which will be located on the corner of Central and Main in 2008 that will honor all local officers who lost their lives.