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Stout served, protected
Welcome to Bobby Stout Appreciation Week in Wichita, a well-deserved occasion marked at Tuesday’s City Council meeting by a slide show set to the Jerry Hahn Brotherhood’s blues-rock classic “Captain...
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Justice denied in Polanski case
It took 33 years and lots of international legal wrangling, but the end of the child-rape case against Roman Polanski proved again that laws need not apply to the rich and powerful. “What the Swiss...
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Police keeping Wichita safe
When the economy is bad, crime tends to increase. That makes Wichita’s 5 percent overall drop in crime last year even more impressive. Major crimes fell even more, 7 percent, and the city had a nearly...
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Police cameras could be win-win
Getting body video cameras for Wichita police officers could be a win-win for the police and the community. Cameras could help defend police against false claims of abuse or racial profiling. They also...
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Nine more to go
The addition of a single word to the FBI’s online “wanted” poster for Osama bin Laden speaks volumes: “deceased.” But that leaves nine more of the “Ten Most Wanted,” whose alleged offenses range from...
View ArticleWichita has a sex-trafficking problem
The idea of Wichita as a hotbed of sex trafficking may seem unfathomable. But the fact that cases have tripled in recent years — from nine in 2008 to 22 in 2010 to 28 already in 2011 — speaks for...
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A sad start to the new year
It’s sad that Wichita began the new year with two homicides early Sunday morning. But it is especially sad that, according to police, one of the victims was a Good Samaritan. Police said that Bradley...
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Crack down on human trafficking
Human trafficking cases have more than tripled in four years, with 28 cases last year, according to Wichita police statistics. That’s shocking and intolerable. The Legislature needs to heed prosecutors...
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Landwehr earned Wichita’s gratitude
Get ready for a Wichita Police Department without Lt. Ken Landwehr, who starts retirement this week after 35 years on the force. Landwehr, the homicide unit commander for an unheard-of 20 years, is...
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Kansas getting ‘smart on crime’ again
Gov. Sam Brownback recently signed legislation aimed at stemming growth in the prison population and reducing recidivism. The promising reform follows a “justice reinvestment” approach that brings...
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Another terrible shooting in Colorado
Details are still unfolding about the horrible shooting during a midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Colorado. According to federal law enforcement officials, the suspected gunman is...
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Should nation reinstate assault weapons ban?
Not surprisingly, the Colorado movie theater shooting has renewed debate about whether the public should be able to buy assault weapons. Mitt Romney is opposed to new gun laws, though he signed an...
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Old Town working on its security
The absence of gunfire in Old Town has been a welcome change after four straight weekends of reports of shots fired. Police are treating the trouble with the seriousness it deserves and stepping up...
View ArticleSex with a student is not a ‘relationship’
Last week offered two needed reminders that teachers who have sex with students don’t just exercise poor judgment, cross an ethical line and violate a public trust. They also break the law and risk...
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Tear gas in Old Town targeted usual trouble spot
After all the measures by the Wichita Police Department and City Hall to address the shootings and other trouble in Old Town, including recent ordinance changes, it was discouraging to see things reach...
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Would ban on assault weapons help prevent killings?
The National Rifle Association has argued that banning assault weapons is ineffective in curbing crime. However, Australia’s ban has significantly reduced murders and mass killings. Nicholas Kristof of...
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Mass killings remain relatively rare
Despite the impression given by the media, mass shootings are not more common now than they have been in past decades, John Fund wrote in National Review Online. “Incidents of mass murder in the U.S....
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Are Americans more homicidal than everyone else?
“Compare the rate of murder by gun in the United States to the rate in any other advanced industrial nation, and you’re forced to draw one of two conclusions: Either there are far more homicidal people...
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Good trend on jail numbers continuing
At Wednesday’s Sedgwick County Commission meeting, County Manager William Buchanan summarized the many measures the county has taken to better manage the jail population and avoid another expansion of...
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Kansans turn to guns after Newtown shooting
There were surges of gun purchases and concealed-carry permit applications in Kansas after the shootings at Newtown, Conn. In the 10 business days between Dec. 14 and the end of the year, 1,012 Kansans...
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