Welcome to another edition of issue -- ten times these Macintosh and our guest is Wichita police chief Norman Williams and welcome to show us here. Good morning -- thank you for the opportunity but can it be truly know you've been Wichita police chief for ten years. I've heard the averaged just revelations about four or five world. Any places slowdown in the future. Well at this time I have no plans to slow down Steve I am continue to enjoy what I do you know it's a great honor to. Believe he would tell police department can be part of the city Wichita which is a great community. And you actually from your history went through freshman a little bit Q you came up through the ranks how long you've been at PD now. I've been there approximately 35 years I started my career in 19175. Consumer disturbed just the regular street officers like everybody else -- that is correct started out as good as a police officer and got promoted to lieutenant captain deputy chief. And didn't laid mr. -- appoint me chief in April 2000 but -- that obviously you had to wear a lot of -- enhances their little. It the run area of police have law enforcement it's more important you know did you like better than the others. Just a variety than they should go I think the different assignments -- Riley had really been helpful to lose. Lotus foundations for me to be the chief of police because you do so much stay in and day out in as administrators have their previous experience makes a world of difference. Can you give us an idea on almost -- hundred jobs she's detention for -- is how many people in the department. Well you know look at the which helped police department we have but still it's 834. Positions within your organization. 600 input to run our commissioner of police officers than a 183. Are what we -- our civilian staff as part of the department. We have an operating budget of about 72 million dollars. And we're the largest law enforcement agency in the state of Kansas possessed and those concerns Lawton does that stack up pretty well other cities or do you ever. Compare how many officers other cities well we're used to try to compare particular room we look at that -- doing better budget times trying to Ted did. Add additional officers took him to the apartment we try to get an average of what's going on within a region as far as like cities like Tulsa Oklahoma City. Omaha Nebraska. And can even look at statistics from the FBI. We sent him pretty well compared of them think we set up their well I would say. Do you wish I was going to an annual budget writing process and this has become. Little little trickier the past couple years because of the academy. -- did they do they always did a pretty good about they're willing to preserve public safety dependent. What steps if any engine department unit to help hold down spending and -- Outside officers you know there's maybe some way you can hold on spending. Well one -- I would make several recommendations for the budget to the city manager such as eliminating thirteen positions within the organization. Also close and ourselves stations. Between the hours -- 7:7. PM just threw 7 AM. We've also looked at monitor and RO over time I usage as well. As we go forward in in this budget but just -- year. Can you help me -- only -- closing most of stations -- to me live from the opening new sensation was a terrific idea. And having him -- 20% it was a perfect candidate -- you gonna get around as to what role if a person conscious of stations say we don't when he first. At 2 AM what really find who actually we still have officers will work out of those substances even though we move now have a Stacy clerk at the front desk. Well losses coming me coming and going. We've also would at a semi additional features such as cameras. A telephone that is directed to now 11. So citizens can have access to -- one -- without having to pay money to call them. And so -- that is some additional features to ensure that citizens are able to report crime at those stations. And their delicacy offices are in and out of the station to grab because you do paperwork at the stations. And so even though we may not have that close there. We still have personnel coming and going to lose your system don't know so essentially a big fan who does that really helpful enforcement and what you don't. I tell you what's really don't have been truly great because of the fact that they're located. It's from for the most part in the central part of a of a -- sodas can go to that substation make reports and officers gave it to be. To leave the squad rooms and go directly -- their respective beats in a timely manner without having to meet downtown. -- of some who have recover have preset stations they took the different directions attend and that's correct yourself this address. And then in downtown at -- you can anybody do not mention used to. Hadn't dealt perished in the early in the morning for many years is it too pretty stricter security down there. So this pretty much so after 530. City how this is zoom has closed down. And today maybe also just one more question about Clinton and can't drive his car through City Hall. A while back into definitive -- put up some pretty good barriers to prevent have their future everything. That's correct we have worked enhances -- overall -- of City Hall because unfortunately. Government seems to be the focus of so many people that have that have made -- discontent from government and they don't mind taking any kind of measures to get their point across. But none -- have an impact and -- you as. Probably you -- sheriff and everybody got together for the last of course you know put into just from your Erica remembering 9/11 I think I talk to you. On 9/11 because he needed some people may have forgotten spoke. -- can't happen -- restrained. We have been here people. Right up trying to get gasoline and things like then we had a few law enforcement problems that afternoon to me. Those there was groups there were some concerns as far as gasoline availability and things of that nature -- And we did some. Some proactive things to be there try to respond to where we were sent across -- our city -- wouldn't know what the filter is an -- living like never. But I don't I was feeling a little crazy the -- how important is it chief. To keep as many officers as possible on the street and seems obvious but -- brighter when you run -- Internet. Well first -- all that is very important to have as many officers on the street for several reasons number one. Having those -- they want to make calls just particular service calls. Cause of emergency nature and also the opportunity to be proactive in patrolling their beat. Boom visible so we can prevent crime from happening within within their respective be. When you wouldn't move -- Karl -- will be officers. Gets a call. Is it doesn't take a long time to respond immediately if you're the person who's calling man and you've got a problem. Are you want the police officers quickly as possible does it but doesn't usually take very long for free officers to get there. Well right now we have a privatized system -- if you have a crime you have a crime where somebody is being assaulted. That is a priority one call and use it takes me between about brutal five to six minutes for us to respond to. They -- in -- danger where somebody has been assaulted somebody's been shot. Now if you just have a report for somebody stole your bicycle. It's gonna be a while for us to get there because there again it's not a priority -- from the standpoint. That's somebody's life was in danger -- can you have to realize I don't -- dispatchers and what they're. Earnings tomorrow on the phone calls to the displeasure and they're pretty. Pretty crucial what you're doing out there very extremely valuable to providing the officers responding officers with the information and so often citizens don't understand it. You know they think that all you gotta do this and an officer but they're asking those questions. The given offs and an idea of what you -- into a different clubs and those are not gonna go into something Brian in essence that's what they're doing. And and that's what they need as much information we'll Britain wouldn't Wichita police department and a kind of what the media blitz a few weeks ago from right about interment. Trying to head off an -- room -- increasing burden -- and we did a lot of reporting here can assure us on this. But the longer break can still run up and -- external network what happened there. Well there's there's several things that were so end it's that clues are privy. Different group person or group that we arrested another one that emerges. Even though we've seen an increase in the number -- resume their community we've also seen an increase in arrest -- if you talk with. This internal no persons office they would tell you that they charge about 25% more burglars. This year than they did last year and sold like consumers even though that's a break and and we're recipes burglars. But -- part of that is is that's we encourage citizens to make sure that they locked their doors that they marked where they're property. To be a deterrent tuned to the burglars have wanna take their property imparted to make money. In the other part of that is is a symbol of -- burdens of being driven by. By a drug -- people that are addicted to crack cocaine addicted to methamphetamine. And so they're trying to get pass money to support their habit that they have. So the NFC felt like maybe we'll put power of immediate termination revenue potential victims was. But we don't have as much as much -- we thought we did that what would you do you think nobody knew how would you system media's role there really helpful not helpful to. I was so the media is very critical because you have the opportunity to reach thousands of citizens through your broadcasting versus what we can do. And the fact that you -- able to disseminate accurate information timely information. It helps us in the long run to make apprehensions just to give an example. Last week during the weekend for July 12 two the sixteenth we made ten burglary apprehensions. Because citizens called it. Just think of the citizens were not called and -- made those arrests in a timely manner so that tells you that the power of the media. To be part of making our community safe and secure and most people that you arrested potentially. Could have done three or four more burglaries in the Atlanta and that's correct everyone of them is not just hated this one job and it sits. Well one of the things that try to convey attempts to community members that the media. Yeah it's a vital part when he comes to having a safe and secure safe secure community. We resumed emissions 2010 in the energy and radio stations and are against this -- Wichita police chief Norman Williams. The ball police department -- statistics on crime came from the you guys can get some papers are the most recent figures who are they indicating about crying in in Wichita. Right now when you look at the first six months of two when he can. Total crime is down about six it but 6%. Compared to 209. The only category that the only major category unless they major there's seven major crimes that we look at. Homicides robberies rapes burglaries Larson is an auto plants and so those seven major crimes the only one there were up and -- burglaries. And but altogether six crimes were down compared to this time last year losing membership -- them murder them. Our -- homicides. But this time last year we had fifteen homicides thus far we had about ten homicides. Compared to colonial night in so we've seen about a 33%. Decrease in homicide. Statistics so far and what we're about brewers again but crews there up about 11%. Who. Tell us about. WPD's efforts to combat gang activity energized she read something people know later. When you were talking about this so what's the community's been doing. Above mentioned just a simple way I can I do I don't know how you measure weather's worst today that it was ten years ago but don't tell me about the -- and certainly yeah. Part of your emissions as pollution.
You could -- you you're very correct and it is an ongoing. Effort I mean we've really expended a lot of time as far as the suppression side of games. We have worked very closely with this hedge accounting. Department of corrections doing curfew takes some gang members and on probation -- parole. We have really focused on our top down violent gang members in this community the other thing that we've done is is we really have. Try to work with just there in the schools and community groups on the funny and to be proactive. But from the standpoint of suppression efforts we have really dedicated a lot of resources. They do what games throughout this community.
When you look business and psychology grew up but some interviews about the listen and -- a lot of times these are young people who are. I'm looking for a way to belong measure don't actually give some people say they're just looking for -- love relationship from my camera. And another human being it just so those root cause you're going to be very hard for a police department ever address from today.
And you correct and that's why when you look at addressing games this and this is three this like a three legged stool you have intervention and prevention and suppression. And we try to touch all three -- those as a police department but the community is critical when it comes to the intervention and prevention. Because we can do is we can only do so much on the suppression side because you can't arrest your way out of this game situation. But he you can prevent kids from getting any gains or help them get out of -- that's less people that's gonna occupy your prisons sometimes.
It seems like your chief symptom of the general public and then maybe even women a -- get little Blase about gangs and their activity. And that's something comes up like pissed and seeing the other night where there. You're a teenager for his approach thirteen fourteen years old just answered knocking his door and and there's somebody shot to death side didn't think that I think they've got people's attention doesn't take something like that to get us focused again on how important things are.
But human nature we're crisis what crisis generated crisis. Driven and as far as human nature. In so when you have a crisis is easy to get community to have to come together work together. But if you don't have dead do we have a level of complacency. And you're right the incident involving a thirteen year old. That happened on Father's Day has really movement -- raise awareness with the community that we need to do more how can we do more so we don't have another senseless killing. -- dangerous surprisingly violent. Are becoming more sophisticated are they're branching out into so called white collar crime. Ironically you know you should think. Early on as a as a police officer of the games don't mean just drugs and and violence. But in 2006 when Bob and a very sophisticated. An investigation of one of our local games and what we found out during that investigation is that they were involved and identity -- Drug trafficking and manufacturing. Prostitution. Violent crimes -- fraud. Bank fraud and so they gives an indication how sophisticated that group have had expended. Since they came to our community in the early 1990s. In sold they are becoming more sophisticated. And how they make money. We didn't do their younger people most of them. And they understand computers don't think that most definitely I mean this method two run across sales and service search warrant and recovered computer was somebody. Is made -- matrix bogus checks and also a bogus driver's license in the musical -- sticks abuses version.
Little does. Attention -- computers and we have to have changed what I do. Radio or from years and I know they've had a huge impact on a law enforcement. For one thing to me but I'm gonna speak friends to make it easier to retrieve the information like record -- people who suffer if I'm sure does. And yet you'll probably -- card index cards or something and -- Computers proved to be very beneficial when it comes investigating crimes and I'll I'll leave that that's OK okay what kind -- one instance where they helped with. -- converted a gentleman -- person here internal. Posted on WPD's efforts in the area of drug law enforcement you talked about gangs and drugs contained. Ed burglaries and introductions well insists it consists of a war that we will probably never will and -- feel about that. I think good.
It is time that we can continue to. Be aggressive as far as address and gain coming depressant drug sales. On the streets it helps to make community a lot safer and what we've probably done in the police department we've -- assume a two pronged approach. We have a special community action teams that deal with street level drug dealing and then we also have undercover section that deals with a lot of the mid level to high level. Suppliers within the community. And I can tell you that we have we have seized hundreds of pounds of cocaine. Methamphetamine. We've also received thousands and thousands of dollars worth of property as far as vehicles cash homes and businesses. And for all their property and all the rest that we make you always have somebody comes along. And want to replace those people that you've already arrested. The Drug Enforcement Administration has been a great partner to work with their their federal agency. And so we have been able to make a dent in drugs come in income either in or through which is tolkien's. Intel is certainly good to see if we can't about it traffic law enforcement. And your efforts to incumbents being unit and a seat -- law but what -- what traffic safety is a priority with us this as an organization. There were costly conducting various special assignments throughout the community. In regards to them of traffic locations particularly those that we -- that have high traffic accident. We wigs -- display and distribute a lot of resources in those areas to make sure that we're addressing those kind of concerns. The other thing that we try to do is we try to work would neighbors neighborhoods. To respond traffic complaints in those neighborhoods such as people running a stop sign speeding down the streets. And those kind of those types of activities. The other part of that is who we try to -- remind own officers. To drive within the speed limit unless there's a situation where there and route to a call. But traffic safety is a priority with this organization and we've expended a lot of resources. I get criticized force people -- and where you guys have a quarter of the only clear that we have is reducing accident. We've had seventeen fatalities in and this year compared to put up the talent tees and end at 2009. And so you see why we're placing tremendous emphasis on its traffic safety.
And it was a person who monitors this police scanner over here but the in the early morning hours did we have. I quite if you pursue action not just -- opinion -- due course sheriff's department on patrol a Tehran which. These things start up in the -- kind of impressed with the fact that if there's no traffic other traveling on the street. But are pretty good about backing off and wait until they can do something. And differently but you do have some pretty strict rules about for your -- do not.
We've been criticized for having probably one of the strictest. Pursuit policies in the country in regards to our personnel. But I'm I'm I'm here to tell you -- Steve the fact that the officers understand. The dangers of pursued and they make great decisions in regards to discontinue the case before supervisors and being. Yet he chases I can tell the adrenaline really gets computer professor -- I'd never got a wonderful -- until Israel ends up there they -- right there is okay. And adrenaline when you pursuant who have called for by the same token you can't lose sight of the fact that you don't want to compromise. US safety the safety of our citizens of the or even the safety of the suspected your pursuant. Plus a little bit about it training and your officers your -- usually consider. Well ours is -- the 23 weeks of the basic training which involves learn about policies and regulations. How to write reports. How to do you escalate the disturbances they go through verbal judo. Self defense tactics as well as I've learned about the weapons at that they're gonna use it as an officer. They spend at least two to three reset at the prime range learned become familiar with the handguns shotguns. -- that are so spokesman. To perform their duties. Whether part of it is they learn a lot about our community policing philosophy what their philosophy means. By that philosophy is important to come to the citizens that we serve. It also did learn a lot about where we expect to have them as as members of this organization. I don't talk to some of the old timers now and then and they say well you know much sort of big game -- you sit here Gupta thank -- good boy oh boy that must have been scary. Clinton sounds to me like you if you put a lot more effort -- today and then and then put them. Well I've got credit -- In the Kansas law enforcement training center because they've increased the the level of professionalism of law enforcement throughout the state of Kansas and -- he's done a tremendous job. I'm making sure that our law enforcement. Agencies in Kansas received top notch training. Talk a little bit about Lou were up and told him good quality high quality applicants. Obviously can't probably -- as many -- you want to go to our phone number of people coming -- I'm an average -- we. Between three to 400 people come and in applying to be a police officer for maybe twenty to thirty positions techniques and so. They would have been extremely pleased with the quality of the applicants that we've been getting the last several years because. They're in their top notch. They understand what's expected of them they bring a level of integrity to the table. And they understand the fact that there are represented an organization that. That has distrust of the community. Future plans soon where dreams can you share with a -- today. -- unfettered. Right now you know up. Survive what I thought what am I goes as a -- to be a city manager once I retire as as police chief because I love working in the government sector. In so it's important time like to get some time in as an assistant city manager somewhere and then eventually become a city manager. All right but but the law enforcement memorial is has -- been dedicated now. Anderson home that has not been done yeah we're looking at September as have in the official dedication and it is still under construction. Matter fact we just got the have bad -- this week they gonna start. Assuming the -- there at memorial and so was making tremendous progress. But I couldn't just talked briefly about. The people -- you know who have lost their lives in London the and to bring a feud over -- are some years. Well there's been quite a few in my 35 years and I think of the lieutenant general Galvin. You know he was killed in the line of duty nine months ago was appointed chief in 2000. I I think of our garage for low was shot in 19801980. November the eighth 1980. Ironically I was shot in the line of duty in January of that same year. -- myself and and now also detective Paul Holmes and so -- there's several I was in the house when men. Ship detective -- make meant was shot there in the 2400 block of high it and so I those memories are still with me. And it's great to see they were able to have a memorial. That will be good to. Be them. Long lasting legacy for the sacrifice they made for the community. Hey thanks for your time appreciate what students can sometimes well you're welcome I appreciate got a -- let's make it another continue as head don't think it's been met Alan. Our guest is Wichita police chief Norman Williams that's -- for this edition of issues 2010. We'll be back next week thank you for listening I'm Steve Macintosh.
