Violent crime was up across Kansas from 2019 to 2020.
The 2020 Kansas Crime Index Report shows violent crime was up almost 10 percent year-to-year, with nearly 14,000 violent crimes — including murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault and aggravated battery across the state.
The violent crime rate is over 24 percent above the state’s 10-year average, as evidenced just by the number of murders. There were 193 murders in Kansas last year, surpassing any year since 1959. The report says there is not enough of a difference in gang- or drug-related murders to account for the year-to-year increase.
Aggravated assaults and batteries were up almost 14 percent, while rapes and robberies declined.
For property crimes, there was a nearly 10-percent increase in motor vehicle thefts, but overall property crimes were down 1.2 percent.
As has been the case for years, the Lyon County report includes data from Emporia Police, Americus Police and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office:
*Emporia Police reported 12 rapes, level with 2019. There were two robberies, up one from 2019. There were 26 assaults and batteries, up slightly from the 23 the year before. Property crimes dipped from 518 to 505.
*Americus Police reported no violent offenses for either 2019 or 2020. It also had no total property crimes reported, down from two in 2019.
*Lyon County deputies reported one rape last year, down from six in 2019. There was one robbery last year, up from zero in 2019. Assaults and batteries were up from 10 to 17, while property crimes were down from 56 to 50.
There were no murders in Lyon County for the third straight year.
