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Police: property crime down but aggravated assaults up; homelessness task force, animal-shelter MOU and grants underway

October 16, 2025 | Riley, Kansas


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Police: property crime down but aggravated assaults up; homelessness task force, animal-shelter MOU and grants underway
Pete, a Riley County police official, told the commission that Part 1 crimes for the month were about 30% below the five-year average while violent crimes were about 25% above the five-year average.

“During the month there were 16 aggravated assaults, two rapes, no robberies and no homicides reported,” Pete said, adding that as of the eighth of the month investigators had arrested four of the 16 suspects linked to the aggravated assaults and that staff did not see a discernible trend tying the incidents together.

Property-crime numbers: Pete said the department recorded fewer property crimes than its five-year average — for example, nine burglaries, six motor-vehicle larcenies and five auto thefts for the month. Motor vehicle thefts were down roughly 70%, and vehicle recoveries were high for recovered units the department listed as stolen.

Mental-health and traffic trends: The department reported that mental-health-related calls were well below five-year averages for the months described, crediting local stakeholders and Pawnee (a partner agency) for improved coordination. Traffic accidents were slightly above the five-year average while DUI arrests and preventable-accident metrics were lower than historical averages.

Notable cases: Pete highlighted three incidents: a late-night DUI chase that crossed county lines and ended in arrests; a widely circulated but unfounded social-media claim that an individual had fentanyl-laced gloves (which the department said was untrue and led to harmful harassment online); and a shooting on Marlatt Avenue whose suspect turned himself in and is in custody.

Homelessness working group: Pete said the homelessness working group has distributed a seven-question survey to the business community to collect impacts and that staff hope to publish a draft report with recommendations for the county and city by the end of the next month.

Prairie Paws MOU and grants: On a pending memorandum of understanding with Prairie Paws (a regional animal-shelter partner), Pete said county and city staff are focusing on operational details — drop-off logistics and clearly defined roles — and that dollar figures are not part of the operational draft. He said the county attorney’s office and city legal staff will review the draft before the agreement moves forward.

Grants: Pete said the department is preparing grant applications, including a STOP School Violence grant and technology-related grants that would be presented to the law enforcement governing board if awarded.

Ending: Pete closed by asking commissioners whether they had questions and by reiterating that staff would continue to share draft documents with legal counsel before bringing formal agreements back to the commission.

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Scribe from Workplace AI
Scribe from Workplace AI