The Wichita Police Department (WPD) is the primary law enforcement agency serving

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

. Wichita Police Department's jurisdiction overlaps with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's office. Current chief of the Wichita Police Department is Joseph Sullivan Former Deputy Commissioner Joe Sullivan While Wichita police department was without a sitting chief and many interim chiefs Joe Sullivan a veteran of more than 30 years with the Philadelphia Police Department. He held the rank of deputy commissioner and commanded a force of 4,698 sworn and professional staff. His responsibilities included leading the COMSTAT process, the strategic implementation of the department's data driven, and intelligence based PINPOINT and Violent Crime Reduction (VCR) anti-gun strategies, overseeing community relations, serving as the department's liaison to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Jewish Federation, the LGBTQ community, and the Resilience Project, the Mayor's task force, assembled to respond to the opioid crisis. Prior to his promotion to deputy commissioner, he commanded the department's homeland security bureau, where Sullivan served as the incident commander at all major incidents involving homeland security and/or requiring tactical intervention and performed as the department's subject matter expert at all major demonstrations and protests. Sullivan also oversaw the training bureau, the narcotics division, and held numerous commands and supervisory positions within patrol and SWAT. Sullivan holds a B.A. from Penn State University in the Administration of Justice and an M.A. in Public Safety from St. Joseph's University, is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, and has lectured as an adjunct professor at several colleges in the Philadelphia area. He also served as the Department's representative to the Mayor's World Meeting of Families Executive Planning Committee, which required him to travel to Rome to work closely with Papal Security in the formation of the security plans utilized for the visit of the Pope to Philadelphia. Sullivan represented the City of Philadelphia and the police department in executing all tactical operations and overseeing all demonstrations during the Democratic National Convention and was designated as the incident commander for the footprint of the NFL Draft. Sullivan also serves as the President of Families Behind the Badge Children's Foundation which supports the children of fallen first responders and all children in need in the Philadelphia region. Joseph Sullivan started working for the Wichita police department in early December.

Organization

Rank structure

Investigation Division

* Property Crimes Bureau * Crimes Against Persons Bureau * Special Investigations Bureau * Technical Services Bureau * Victim's Assistance Unit

Property Crimes Bureau

Burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

Auto theft Motor vehicle theft (also known as a car theft and, in the United States, grand theft auto) is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle. Nationwide in the United States in 2020, there were 810,400 vehicles reporte ...

Larceny Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of Engla ...

Financial crimes Financial crime is crime committed against property, involving the unlawful conversion of the ownership of property (belonging to one person) to one's own personal use and benefit. Financial crimes may involve fraud (cheque fraud, credit card f ...

*Technical Services (Property & Evidence, Crime Scene Investigators, Latent Print Examiners, Photographer & Photo Technician)

Crimes Against Persons Bureau

*Accident Follow-Up *Gang Unit/Night Investigations *Homicide *Robbery *Sex Crimes/Felony Assault/Domestic Violence *Exploited/Missing Children Unit

Special Investigations Bureau

* Administrative Section * Undercover Section

Demographics

, the WPD had the following demographic profile: *Male: 89% *Female: 11% *White: 82% *African-American/Black: 9% *Hispanic: 5% *Other: 3%

New recruit training

Recruits have been trained 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

The WPD made national news for the killing spree of

Dennis Rader Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945) is an American serial killer known as BTK (an abbreviation he gave himself, for "bind, torture, kill"), the BTK Strangler or the BTK Killer. Between 1974 and 1991, he killed ten people in Wichita and Par ...

, also known as the BTK serial killer, from 1974 to 1978. He was arrested and convicted in 2005. A tissue sample from his daughter was used to confirm DNA tests that linked Rader to ten killings committed between 1974 and 1991. Homicide Unit Commander Ken Landwehr was 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 in 2004. In the

Herman Hill riot The 1979 Easter Sunday Herman Hill riot in Wichita, Kansas, United States – a confrontation between 500 law-enforcement personnel (from Wichita and surrounding jurisdictions) and the 3,500 attendees at a rock concert in Herman Hill Park – was ...

of 1979, 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 in Kansas history on September 28, 2007. 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. The 2017 Wichita swatting that resulted in Witchita resident Andrew Finch being fatally shot by WPD Officer Justin Rapp. In 2021 and 2022, the WPD received national attention for its lack of action in handling racism and extremism on the force. Department managers failed to appropriately discipline Wichita Police Department members who exchanged racist, sexist and homophobic texts and images. A city report stated the police force mismanaged investigation of the incidents. A committee appointed by Wichita City Manager Robert Layton said the department must "crack down on biased police officers, poor leadership, botched investigations and poor oversight."

Awards

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 The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

. 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, 23 officers have died while on duty. They include the following: * Captain Clay Morsell Germany, EOW: Friday, July 9, 2021, Cause: COVID-19 * Lieutenant John Eugene Galvin, EOW: Saturday, November 4, 2000, Cause: Explosion * Police Officer Danny Dean Laffey, EOW: Tuesday, January 5, 1982, Cause: Struck by Vehicle * Police Officer Paul Garofalo, EOW: Saturday, November 8, 1980, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman David A. Kenyon, EOW: Friday, October 26, 1962, Cause: Gunfire * Detective Merle Rankin Colver, EOW: Friday, August 14, 1931, Cause: Gunfire * Lieutenant James O. Pugh, EOW: Friday, August 1, 1930, Cause: Motorcycle Crash * Patrolman Paul E. Gilmore, EOW: Friday, July 18, 1930, Cause: Motorcycle Crash * Patrolman Joseph Earl Marshall, EOW: Tuesday, August 9, 1927, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman Vernon G. Ogden, EOW: Sunday, June 26, 1927, Cause: Vehicle Pursuit * Patrolman Edward F. Hall, EOW: Friday, April 10, 1925, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman Harrison R. Brown, EOW: Sunday, January 4, 1925, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman Robert C. Scudder, EOW: Tuesday, November 27, 1923, Cause: Gunfire * Detective Charles E. Galloway, EOW: Sunday, July 15, 1923, Cause: Duty Related Illness * Detective Charles D. Hoffman, EOW: Wednesday, November 23, 1921, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman Robert Fitzpatrick, EOW: Monday, November 21, 1921, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman A. L. Young, EOW: Saturday, November 5, 1921, Cause: Gunfire * Detective William H. Ballard, EOW: Tuesday, July 20, 1920, Cause: Gunfire * Captain Frank W. Griswold, EOW: Sunday, May 23, 1915, Cause: Gunfire * Detective William L. Humphries, EOW: Tuesday, February 23, 1915, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman S. A. Hartzell, EOW: Friday, December 14, 1888, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman Henry Ebenhack, EOW: Monday, September 24, 1888, Cause: Gunfire * Patrolman J. W. Kerwin, EOW: Friday, March 23, 1888, Cause: Gunfire (Inadvertent) A memorial was erected on McLean Blvd. to honor Sedgwick County law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. However, it was removed as traffic patterns were changed. The current memorial, located on the southwest corner of Central and Main, was dedicated in August 2011.

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.wichita.gov/WPD/Pages/default.aspx
Wichita Police streaming scanner page

Police Department The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

Municipal police departments of Kansas