Crime analysis for November: Top five calls, ongoing investigations and a few interesting tidbits

Lawrence Police Department

The top five most common calls Lawrence police officers received in November are consistent with the the top five calls they received in October. There were, however, fewer of each.

Each morning the Journal-World receives a list of the Lawrence Police Department’s activities over the previous 24 hours. At the end of the month those logs are compiled and compared.

The logs don’t list every single call to service LPD has received in a given day; however, the information serves as a good starting point. In addition, each incident listed offers only a short description of the call and is subject to change as investigations continue. It is important to note each call to service does not always result in a citation or arrest.

For the month of November LPD’s officers responded to 6,518 individual calls, an average of 217 per day. This is down from the 7,110 total calls the department received in October, which averaged 229 a day.

The top five calls are as follows:

Traffic stops – 1,257 calls, approximately 19 percent of the total, averaging 41 per day. In October, the department conducted 1,287 traffic stops, averaging 42 per day.

Request to speak with officers – 906 calls, approximately 14 percent of the total, averaging 30 per day. In October, the department received 947 requests, averaging 31 per day.

Animal-related calls – 337 calls, approximately 5 percent of the total, averaging 11 each day. In October, the department responded to 378 animal-related calls, averaging 12 each day.

Auto accidents – 312 calls, approximately 5 percent of the total, averaging 10 a day. In October, the department responded to 336 auto accidents, averaging 11 each day.

Parking violations – 270 calls, approximately 4 percent of the total, averaging nine a day. In October, the department responded to 325 parking violations and averaged 10 a day.

Monday’s arrest of Anthony Deshaune Edwards, 22, resulted in the highest number of officers responding to a single scene in the month of November.

In all, 25 Lawrence police officers responded near the intersection of 31st Street and Haskell Avenue, where Edwards allegedly led them after a brief chase. A number of additional law enforcement officials from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, University of Kansas’ Office of Public Safety and Kansas Highway Patrol also arrived on the scene and helped establish a perimeter while they searched for Edwards.

Edwards reportedly ran from a traffic stop earlier in the day. He had warrants out for his arrest related to suspected probation violations, and officers gave chase after a woman in his car appeared to be yelling for help.

Edwards faces one felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer and misdemeanor charges of interference with law enforcement and criminal restraint. He is currently being held in the Douglas County Jail in lieu of a $7,000 bond.


A few other interesting figures from November include:

• For the entire month of November Lawrence police officers responded to a total of 22 sex-crime calls, up from the 14 calls received in October. Both numbers exceed the average number of calls per month for 2015 — Lawrence Police Sgt. Amy Rhoads said a total of 135 sex offenses were reported in 2015, averaging just over 11 each month.

And while the number of sex crimes reported in November far exceeds the monthly average for 2015, Rhoads reiterated that not every report equals a crime.

In mid-November the Journal-World asked Rhoads about 14 of the month’s sex-crime calls. Of those calls, Rhoads said only seven “are actual reported offenses.” Investigators found some calls were unfounded while others may have taken place outside of the department’s jurisdiction, Rhoads said.

In one of the seven reported sex-crime offenses the department has submitted an affidavit to the district attorney’s office for consideration on potential criminal charges, Rhoads said.

Information was not immediately available for the remaining eight sex crimes reported in November. So far, no arrests in the Douglas County Jail’s booking logs have corresponded with the reported crimes.


• Seven robberies were reported in November, the same number of reports as in October. The reports include businesses robbed on Nov. 19 and Nov. 24 and attempted robberies on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26. Police are still searching for a number of suspects regarding the incidents.


• One stabbing was reported in November, while none was reported in October. Wynn Sterling Antrim Anderson, 32, was arrested on Nov. 18 after police say he stabbed 52-year-old James Conlon multiple times. Conlon is still receiving medical treatment, but is now in stable condition, Rhoads said. Anderson is currently being held in the Douglas County Jail in lieu of a $105,000 bond. He is facing felony charges of attempted second-degree murder and making a criminal threat.

Anderson is currently awaiting a preliminary hearing where he will have a chance to respond to the charges filed against him and a judge will decide if enough evidence exists to order him to stand trial.