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Council hears Bloomberg‑Harvard data on downtown safety; lighting, homelessness and street racing flagged as top drivers of perception
Summary
A Bloomberg‑Harvard data project and a Polco community survey showed declines in downtown safety perception despite falling crime rates; council discussed targeted responses including lighting studies with Evergy, expanded shelter services and traffic‑calming measures to deter street racing.
Mayor and staff presented findings from Wichita’s participation in the Bloomberg‑Harvard City Leadership Initiative and a Polco resident survey that probed perceptions of downtown safety.
The survey results shown to council found that 73% of respondents felt safe or somewhat safe downtown during the day (down from 82% in 2016) while evening safety ratings were lower; respondents ranked reduction of visible homelessness, more events/attractions and improved lighting as the top actions that would encourage more downtown visits. Staff emphasized perception often diverges from crime statistics: the mayor noted overall crime by population is down, but public sentiment has worsened.
City staff recommended a set of near‑term and medium‑term responses: a city‑commissioned illumination study (in partnership with Evergy) to identify dark blocks and prioritize new poles or decorative lighting; continued investments in homelessness services (the city has directed nearly $30 million to multi‑agency services and transitional housing projects such as Park Landing); and coordinated 'street softening' engineering measures to discourage street racing and reckless driving. Police Chief Joe Sullivan described recent enforcement efforts—joint initiatives with the sheriff and Kansas Highway Patrol—and said technology (camera network and a staffed real‑time information center) and air assets have assisted prosecutions and enforcement while stressing that enforcement alone will not solve the problem.
Council members asked staff to provide follow‑up data: demographic breakdowns of survey respondents and whether qualitative focus‑group responses represented encounters or simply the presence of unhoused individuals. Staff said they will return with additional information and a proposal for a lighting study and additional analysis of the encampment ordinance’s outcomes since its revision 18 months ago.
Several council members asked for continued coordination among Public Works, Downtown Wichita and parks and recreation on cleanliness and graffiti removal; staff highlighted the downtown street team’s recent outputs (trash bags collected, graffiti tags fixed) as evidence of progress on environmental design. The mayor said the city will continue collaborative, outcome‑focused work with community and nonprofit partners to address both actual safety and public perception.
