> Property Protection: Good for You and Topeka

In the past year that I have served as Chief of Police for the Topeka Police Department I’ve had the opportunity to talk with more than 5,000 citizens in this community and one of the things I’ve discovered is how people view crime in our community. When people talk about crime in Topeka, they believe crime is too high. They think about violent crime: shootings, gangs, murders, and robbery as the most predominant crime in Topeka. While those crimes are a concern, violent crimes are not Topeka’s leading crime. Property crimes are the leading crimes in Topeka.

Theft from vehicles, burglary and theft of license plates are crimes that affect our community the most. They affect the desirability and appeal of our community. These crimes are most preventable. We can truly lower the crime rate in Topeka if we all work together to prevent crime.

Babe Ruth once said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.” It’s a good philosophy for the city to reduce crime. It’s going to take teamwork to affect change and make this community the best it can be. Everyone must stand together to prevent criminal activity.

Criminals are opportunists. In order to stop crime we need to remove the opportunity and there are many practical things we can do. Lock your car and take the keys. Remove valuables in your vehicle from sight. It’s easy to leave items in the car while you go in the store to shop. It’s easy to leave things visible in the car because you’ll need them later and you think nothing will happen to them. Wrong. Crime can happen to you at anytime and any location. It’s about opportunity. Where there’s opportunity, there’s a chance to be victimized.

Make sure the outside of your home or business is well-lit and trees and bushes are trimmed so that there is a clear line of sight to the door. Pick up items in the yard and secure them in a garage or shed. Close and lock doors and windows. Watch your neighborhood. Be aware of things going on around you. Get to know your neighbors and look out for one another. Know strange vehicles and people when you see them and don’t be afraid to watch.

The Safest Capital City Initiative is underway in Topeka. Government officials, civic and business leaders, health care workers, people in the faith community, education system, and neighborhoods are uniting together to work together to make Topeka the safest capital city in America. We welcome anyone who is interested in making a difference. I encourage anyone who would like to get involved to contact the Safe Streets Coalition at 266-4606.