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Violent Crime Trends in Wathena, Kansas: A Small City's Struggle with Aggravated Assaults
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Wathena, a small city in Kansas, has experienced significant changes in its violent crime landscape over the past decade. From 2010 to 2015, the city witnessed a 233% increase in total violent crimes, despite a modest population growth of 5.2%. This stark contrast between population growth and crime rate increase presents a concerning trend for the community of just over 2,000 residents.
During this period, Wathena maintained a consistent record of zero murders, a positive aspect of its safety profile. However, the city saw fluctuations in other violent crime categories. Rape cases, while low in number, showed an increase from zero reported cases in 2010 to two cases in 2015. This change resulted in Wathena's contribution to the state's rape cases rising from 0% to 0.15% over the five-year period.
Robbery trends in Wathena remained minimal, with only one case reported in 2010 and none in the following years. This suggests that robbery is not a primary concern for the community. However, the most significant change occurred in the category of aggravated assault, which saw a dramatic 300% increase from 2010 to 2015. The number of cases rose from 2 to 8, causing the rate per 1,000 people to jump from 0.88 to 3.36.
The increase in violent crimes, particularly aggravated assaults, appears to have a moderate correlation with population growth and increased population density. As the city's population density grew from 967 per square mile in 2010 to 1,017 in 2015, violent crimes also trended upward. However, the relationship is not perfectly linear, indicating that other factors may be influencing this trend.
Based on these trends, predictive models suggest that Wathena may continue to see an increase in its violent crime rate. By 2029, the city could potentially experience 15-20 violent crime incidents per year if current trends persist. However, this prediction should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size and the potential for significant year-to-year variations in a community of this size.
In conclusion, Wathena's violent crime trends from 2010 to 2015 reveal a concerning increase, primarily driven by a rise in aggravated assaults. While the city has maintained low rates of murder and robbery, the overall trend suggests a growing public safety concern. This situation may require targeted interventions and community-based solutions to address the rising violent crime rates, with a particular focus on preventing and reducing aggravated assaults. Local law enforcement and community leaders may need to collaborate on strategies to reverse these trends and ensure the safety and well-being of Wathena's residents.
