Overland Park's reputation as a safe and secure community is the result of many things, including a low crime rate; proactive, community-oriented law enforcement; and the effort of active, informed citizens and neighborhood groups working together.

This interactive crime map is a resource for general information about criminal activity in the City. It is particularly aimed at people with an interest in a specific area, such as a neighborhood or apartment complex.

For whatever area you select, a map will show a visual representation of where crime has occurred and a table showing aggregate crime statistics for that area over the past five quarters.

Go straight to the crime map

• What Crimes Are Included?
• How Do I Get Started?
• Interpreting the Map
• Interpreting the Table of Crime Statistics
• Related Information on Crime
• Disclaimer

What Crimes Are Included?

This Web site only includes serious crimes that result in a Police report. It does not show calls to the Police Department that do not lead to a determination that a crime has been committed, nor does it include some less serious crimes such as graffiti, vandalism or shoplifting. The data table does include sex offenses, although to protect the privacy of the victims the locations of those crimes are not shown on the map.

General definitions:

• Aggravated Assault/Battery – Fighting between individuals involving a weapon or serious injury.
• Arson – Damage to property by burning.
• Auto Burglary – Theft from a vehicle (whether locked or unlocked).
• Auto Theft – Stolen vehicle.
• Commercial Burglary – Breaking into a business.
• Murder – Death of an individual by another.
• Rape – Forcing an individual to submit to sexual acts. (not displayed on map, but listed in table data)
• Residential Burglary – Breaking into a residence.
• Robbery – A person-to-person confrontation where the suspect physically threatens (with or without a weapon) to harm the victim if the victim does not give up money, property or other valuables.
• Sex Offense – All offenses of a sexual nature not classified as rape, includes sexual battery and indecent exposure. (not displayed on map, but listed in table data)
• Theft – The taking of an object from an unsecured location with the intent to deprive the owner of the item.

The crimes shown are current as of the previous day. Not all police reports are filed immediately, so there may be a lag between when a crime is committed and when it shows up on this Web site.

How Do I Get Started?

The first page shows a map of the whole City, but crimes are not shown at this scale. Click the "Locate Place and View Crime Report" button and a box will appear which gives several different ways to find a specific location within Overland Park. The Address and Intersection options ask for a street address or two street names to find a specific spot in the City. The Apartment, Park, School, Subdivision and Neighborhood options ask you to choose from a predefined list. Use the Select Search Area options of None, Quarter Mile, Half Mile and Mile to specify how large an area outside the selected location to include in the crime statistics map and table. For example, if you are interested in crime within a particular subdivision, select "None" and the crime statistics table will reflect crimes that occurred only within the subdivision. On the other hand, if you are interested in crimes that took place in the vicinity of 95th and Metcalf, select "Half Mile" to see crime within a half-mile radius of that intersection.

Click Submit and the Web site will zoom to the area you selected and define it with a cross-hatch pattern. Crimes within the area will be shown with triangles and crimes outside the area will be shown with red dots. Scroll down to see the crime statistics table.

Click the Create Printable Map button to create a web page that is formatted for printing on 8½ x 11 paper.

Interpreting the Map

Background colors indicate how land is used. Criminal activity is generally more common in commercial areas than residential areas, and also tends to be more common in residential areas with higher populations than in areas with fewer residents. Realize that crime typically occurs where the opportunity best presents itself and factors such as land use and demographics are often associated with crime patterns. Thus, the land use information is intended to help interpret the nature of the criminal activity in the surrounding area.

Adjust the map view using the Zoom In, Zoom Out and Recenter tools in the upper left-hand corner, Remember – using these tools does not change the crime statistics table. In addition, you cannot zoom in closer than approximately one square mile. The intent of this Web site is to give an overview of crime patterns, not to identify specific crime locations.

Interpreting the Table of Crime Statistics

The crime statistics table is located below the map and includes 11 categories of crime (see definitions) plus a row of crime totals. There are six columns of numbers associated with each crime type row. The first column is the number of crimes reported to-date in the current quarter of the year. The next five columns show the number of crimes for the five full quarters preceding the current quarter. This format is intended to show how crime patterns can vary over time and to allow some past-year to current-year comparisons.

Related Information on Crime

Additional information on crime statistics for Overland Park, crime alerts and tips for fighting crime in your neighborhood is available by clicking on the links listed below:

• Crime Prevention Tips
• KBI's Most Wanted
• Registered Sex Offenders
• Selecting a Safe Neighborhood/Apartment Complex

Disclaimer

These crime statistics represent a snapshot of the number of incidents as recorded at the end of each quarter. The numbers do not reflect changes to individual cases if the changes were made after the end of the reporting period. The original data source is dynamic and is therefore constantly changing, so totals may differ from other reports generated by the department.

The maps and information provided by this Web site are based on data created by the City of Overland Park and other government agencies. While Overland Park and the other participating agencies have no indication or reason to believe that there are inaccuracies in the information presented, the data is presented "as is" and there is no representation of any kind by Overland Park, or any other participating agency that the data is accurate or is fit for any particular use. No warranty, explicit or implied, exists with respect to the information or graphic representations provided by this Web site.

In no event shall the City of Overland Park or other participating agency become liable to users of these data, or any other party, for any loss or damages, consequential or otherwise, arising from the use, operation or interpretation of the data. In using this data, users further agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the City of Overland Park, AIMS and other participating agencies for any and all liability of any nature arising out of or resulting from the lack of accuracy or correctness of the data, or the use of the data.

Contact

For more information regarding crime statistics, please contact the Crime Analysis Unit at 913/327-6712 or e-mail gerry.tallman@opkansas.org.