Salina Crime Trends Move in the Right Direction as Police Chief Wise, Commissioners and City Manager Jacob Wood Weigh In

Salina’s property-crime rate remained above the Kansas average in 2025, but Kansas Bureau of Investigation data show the city’s overall crime totals have declined substantially during the past five years.

The KBI’s 2025 Crime Index Report recorded 1,238 index crimes within the Salina Police Department’s jurisdiction. That included 193 violent crimes and 1,045 property crimes.

Salina’s property-crime rate was 22.8 offenses per 1,000 residents. The property-crime total included 157 burglaries, 811 thefts and 77 motor vehicle thefts.

Salina311 asked Police Chief C.J. Wise, City Manager Jacob Wood and members of the Salina City Commission about the numbers, the city’s approach to property crime and whether additional public-safety resources should be considered.

Police Chief C.J. Wise Points to Prevention and Long-Term Decline

Wise said property crime is generally the most common category of crime nationwide and that the department uses proactive enforcement and prevention efforts to address it.

“As many people know, property crime is generally the most common offense nationwide. There are many factors that can go into combatting these crimes by members of the community. For the police department's part, we use proactive methods to combat these crimes. One of these methods is conducting extra patrol directed at the areas where these crimes often occur. These areas include neighborhoods and retail stores.

“We have good working relationships with many of our large retail stores. Many of these stores have also taken target-hardening measures to make retail theft more difficult in their stores. We encourage citizens to lock their homes and vehicles, and not to leave their keys in their vehicles. These are all factors that we commonly see in thefts. We also highly encourage citizens to call the police as soon as possible if they see something suspicious taking place. Many times, these calls allow us to catch suspects in the act or prevent the crime from occurring. Looking back to 2003, the earliest available year that the KBI has posted crime statistics, we have the lowest property crime rate and the lowest overall crime rate that Salina has ever had. This data tells us that the tactics we use are having success.”

City Manager Says Property Crime Has Fallen 37 Percent

City Manager Jacob Wood said Salina’s role as a regional retail, employment and transportation center creates circumstances that differ from those in smaller surrounding communities. However, he said the city does not view its location or commercial activity as the sole explanation for property crime.

“Salina’s role as a regional center likely is part of the context. As a community with significant retail activity, employment concentration, daily in-commuting, and major highway access, Salina experiences a level of population movement and commercial activity that differs from many smaller surrounding communities. That can create more opportunity for certain property crimes, particularly theft-related offenses. At the same time, the city does not view that as the sole explanation, and we remain focused on prevention, enforcement and resource alignment to address those issues locally.

“Based on the Kansas Bureau of Investigation Crime Index Reports, Salina’s total index crimes decreased from 1,894 in 2021 to 1,238 in 2025. That is a reduction of 656 reported index crimes, or about 34.6 percent over the five-year period.

“Property crime has been the main driver of that improvement. Salina’s property-crime total declined from 1,660 in 2021 to 1,045 in 2025, a reduction of 615 offenses, or about 37.0 percent. Within that category, theft declined from 1,288 to 811 over the same period, and motor vehicle theft declined from 160 to 77. Burglary also fell from 212 in 2021 to 157 in 2025, although that category has been relatively more stable over the last three years.

“Violent crime has also improved overall, but the trend has been less consistent year to year. Salina reported 234 violent index crimes in 2021 and 193 in 2025, a decrease of about 17.5 percent. There was a noticeable increase in violent crime in 2023 before numbers declined again in 2024 and 2025. Within the violent-crime categories, aggravated assault and battery has shown the clearest recent improvement, while robbery remains an area the city continues to watch closely.

“So while Salina’s property-crime rate remains above the statewide average, the longer-term local trend is downward, not upward. In fact, the 2025 rate is the lowest rate in 2003. From the city’s perspective, that is important context: Salina continues to face property-crime challenges, but the data also show meaningful improvement over time rather than deterioration.

“As always, the city reviews these reports as one tool among many for evaluating public-safety conditions, resource needs and operational priorities.”

Wood’s statement said the 2025 rate was the lowest “in 2003.” Wise separately described it as the lowest since 2003, the earliest year for which the KBI has posted Salina crime statistics.

Commissioner Jerry Ivey Open to Additional Resources

Commissioner Jerry Ivey said all crime should remain a priority for the city.

“We should take all crime seriously and it should be a top priority.”

When asked whether the City Commission should consider additional funding or policy options involving theft, burglary, vehicle theft and repeat offenders, Ivey said:

“Should the Police dept or Courts need more in the budget, I would be willing to see how that looks and help them out if it is justified.”

Regarding residents concerned about the direction of crime, Ivey said:

“The direction of crime is actually on a downward trend. Hopefully we can continue that.”

Commissioner Greg Lenkiewicz Cites Salina’s Regional Role

Commissioner Greg Lenkiewicz pointed to Salina’s position as a regional commercial and population center while emphasizing the decline recorded during recent years.

“Given Salina’s location at the intersection of two interstate highways, its role as a population center and commercial hub in central Kansas, it naturally experiences more opportunities for certain crimes than many smaller communities in our state. Higher crime rates, unfortunately, are not uncommon in communities with greater population density and daily activity.

“The encouraging news is that the long-term trend is moving in the right direction. Over the past five years, property crime has steadily declined, and violent crime has decreased overall despite a temporary uptick in 2023. Those improvements reflect the Police Department’s proactive approach, including targeted patrols, crime-prevention initiatives and public education.

“Community involvement also plays an important role. When residents and businesses take steps to make themselves less attractive targets, offenders are more likely to move on to the next potential opportunity.

“If we continue to prioritize crime prevention, enforcement and community partnerships, we expect that positive trend to continue.”

Commissioner Doug Rempp Wants a Closer Review of the Data

Commissioner Doug Rempp said residents have primarily contacted him recently about other city issues, although property-crime headlines have drawn his attention.

“I have many people reaching out to me regarding a variety of things. Water and the Shelter stand out, representing probably 18 out of the last 20 contacts. No one has reached out to me about property crime, although the number of headlines property crimes have been generating has gotten my attention. I would like to see the data from the last few years to really weigh in.

“Regarding theft, in business we frequently discussed opportunity as the main reason for theft. I do not know if the items stolen had been locked up or were easily accessible. I frequently see vehicle theft reports where keys were left in the vehicle, or valuables were stolen from inside an unlocked vehicle. We all need to do our part to minimize opportunity. And if I were questioned about the direction of crime in our community by a member, I would tell them that what I mentioned above- that I need to take a more detailed look at the data.”

Mayor Mike Hoppock and Commissioner Trent Davis did not respond to Salina311’s questions.