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PUBLISHED SINCE 1891$2.00 / LJWorld.comSunday • July 28 • 2019

VOL. 161 / NO. 209 / 20 PAGES

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Douglas County saw crime rates drop to at least a 15-year low from 2017 to 2018, a new report shows.

However, violent crimes — which had consistently risen since 2015 — were nearly stagnant.

The latest edition of an annual report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, released Thursday, focuses on “index crimes.” In that category, the FBI includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault/battery, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft.

Law enforcement agencies state-wide report index crimes to KBI each year. In Douglas County, thoseagencies include the sheriff’s office and the Lawrence, Baldwin City, Eudora and University of Kansas police departments.

For Douglas County, the report shows that total index crimes dropped 10.14% from 2017 to 2018;it’s also below 4,000 for the first time since the 2014 report. Prop-erty crimes fell by 418 — an 11% drop. But violent crimes fell just 2.2%, from 410 to 401.

Murders in Douglas County and statewide

Similar to the state as a whole, murders in Douglas

County leveled off after 2017. They more than quadrupled, from two in 2016 to nine in 2017, then fell back to two in 2018. That is below the 10-year average of 2.7.

In Kansas, murders spiked 18.9%,

from 148 in 2016 to 176 in 2017, then dropped 17%, back to 146, in 2018, the report shows.

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

2015

2016

2017

2018

2015:

281violent crimes

2016:

370violent crimes

2017:

410violent crimes

2018:

401violent crimes

Violent crimes in Douglas CountyAccording to new crime statistics from the Kansas

Bureau of Investigation, Douglas County’s rate of violent crimes — which had consistently risen since 2015 — stayed more or less stagnant in 2018.

Number of violent ‘index

crimes’

Year

CRIME DROPS, BUT VIOLENT OFFENSES REMAIN STAGNANT

Douglas County saw more assaults and batteries in 2018. Murders fell. Total crime hit a 15-year low. These and more statistics are in the KBI’s report.

L A W R E N C E

By Mackenzie Clarkl l l

mclark@ljworld.com

Danny Queen:

Serving a nearly 19-year sentence for killing Bo Hop-son at D-Dubs Bar and Grill in Eudora.

Tyrone J. Carvin and Ramone Singleton:For the shooting death of Cameron

Hooks at a Lawrence Motel 6, Carvin (left) is serving a 23-year sentence, and Singleton (right) is serving a nearly 10-year sentence.

Steven A. Drake III:

Scheduled to stand trial next month in the shooting death of Bryce Holladay.

Anthony L. Roberts Jr.:

Was convicted in June of killing Leah Brown, Colwin Henderson and Tre’Mel Dean-Rayton in downtown Lawrence.

Tria L. Evans and Christina Towell:

Both Evans (left) and Towell (right) have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Joel Wales.

2017’s murder casesAll of these cases stemmed from

incidents in 2017. One of them has yet to go to trial, and the deadliest one was just resolved in June.

— Source: Kansas Bureau of InvestigationSylas May/Journal-World Graphic

Residents steadily

rebuilding after EF-4tornado

Two months after a mas-sive tornado ripped throughDouglas and Leavenworth counties, owners of homes and businesses in the path of the 32-mile, EF-4 twist-er are realizing how much patience and determina-tion rebuilding takes —

and they’re s e e i n g progress.

Excavat-ing equip-ment con-t i n u e s clearing de-bris at Free State Grow-ers, 12819 198th St., a l o n g t i m e L i n w o o d b u s i n e s s that took a direct hit from the

May 28 tornado. “It still looks devastat-

ing, but we have made hugestrides,” said Mark Illausky, owner and president of the company, which is one of the largest houseplant sup-pliers in the Midwest.

By Kathy Hankskhanks@ljworld.com

‘‘It still looks dev-astating, but we have made huge strides.”— Mark Illausky, owner and president of Free State Growers

Will SLT shopping center still be built?

Plans to build one ofthe largest shoppingcenters in Lawrence

are now in doubt aftera local judge last week dismissed a lawsuit against the city.

At issue is a proposed shopping center at the in-terchange of U.S. Highway 59 and the South Lawrence Trafficway. The shopping center would add about 600,000 square feet — at least eight new stores and that many additional restaurants, plus a hotel — to Lawrence’s shopping scene.

—

With dismissal ofdevelopers’ suit,

plans are in doubt

TOWNTALK

Chad Lawhornclawhorn@ljworld.com

> CRIME, 2A

> TORNADO, 5A

> PLANS, 8A

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