The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has released its Crime Index Report for 2023, and it shows a drop of almost four percent in violent crimes, while property crimes have increased.
The report indicated that violent crime in Kansas decreased by 3.7% from 2022, showing declines in each category of violent crime. A total of 13,294 violent crimes were reported in Kansas for the offenses of murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and battery. Despite this decline, violent crime in the state remained 8.6% above the 10-year average.
The report said there were 157 murders in Kansas in 2023, a drop of 6.5 percent from the previous year. There were 10,920 cases of aggravated assault and battery, down three percent.
In 2023, overall property crimes increased by 2.6%. In Kansas, property offenses had steadily declined in recent years, making 2023 the first year since 2017 that the state experienced an uptick in property crime reports. Property crime offenses are assumed to be underreported to law enforcement.
There were 8,748 burglaries reported in Kansas in 2023, down 1.1 percent from the previous year, but other categories were higher. Thefts were up 2.9 percent and motor vehicle thefts were up 4.8 percent.
