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Riley County police report uptick in serious crimes, swatting incident under federal investigation; jail population remains elevated
Summary
Riley County Police reported a small increase in Part I violent crimes, described a swatting incident affecting multiple university campuses that is under federal investigation, and said jail average daily population remains above 120 with recent peaks around 137; county staff said planned health-enrollment changes for inmates have been delayed.
Riley County Police Department (RCPD) leadership told the commission that the department has seen a modest rise in Part I violent crimes but remains below the five‑year average for total crime.
Brian Pete of the Riley County Police Department said the increase in violent incidents represents an absolute increase of roughly one or two incidents; because incident counts are small, those cases can represent a large percentage change year over year. Pete said the department will keep monitoring trends and emphasized the overall crime rate remains below the five‑year average.
Pete also described a recent swatting incident that targeted multiple college campuses. He said dispatchers and officers responded in a measured fashion, used training to avoid over‑response where the call details did not make sense, and that the department has “promising leads” and is working with federal law enforcement on the matter. When asked about likely charges, Pete said prosecutions could be federal given the cross‑jurisdictional nature of the conduct.
On correctional-system issues, RCPD reported the county jail’s average daily population was 124.2 for the most recent month but that the population had been as high as 137 over the prior weekend; the department said it will present options to the law board next month to reduce costs and average daily population. RCPD noted that external factors — including defense-attorney availability and mental‑health resources — affect length of stay and admissions.
Pete said a planned Trinity Healthcare enrollment strategy to provide coverage for people arrested (discussed with partners) now faces a limitation communicated in a letter from Trinity; the county may no longer be able to enroll people while arrested under the previously anticipated approach. The department said the change was tied to federal guidance and that staff are continuing to seek solutions to reduce medical costs associated with incarceration.
Finally, RCPD said the homelessness task force will meet and perform sequential intercept mapping to identify service gaps and next steps; the department plans milestone reporting and outreach to stakeholders including businesses and the chamber of commerce.
