Arrests plunge with protracted shortage of cops
Staff writers
Depleted ranks of sheriff’s deputies and Marion and Peabody police have translated into dramatic decreases in numbers of arrests.
So far this year, total arrests for new offenses countywide have declined 40% from the same period a year ago and 53.2% from the same period two years ago, according to a Record analysis.
The decline has been most pronounced for drug-related arrests, down 46.4% from a year ago and 71.2% from two years ago.
Ironically, jail occupancy has increased, but the increase is attributable to jailings for such things as probation violation, failure to appear in court, and completion of court-ordered sentences.
Arrest totals for City of Marion police have declined the most. Totals for City of Hillsboro police appear unchanged or up slightly. City of Peabody arrest totals decreased last year but increased this year before a wave of departures there.
At the start of 2022, Marion had five full-time officers available for patrol duties. Since the start of 2023, it frequently has had as few as two.
Peabody’s entire police force resigned in the second half of 2022, was replenished by the start of 2024, but has been dwindling in recent weeks.
The sheriff’s department was hit by resignations and firings in 2023. Both it and the Marion police force have hired at least some replacements, but many have been unable to patrol while undergoing state-mandated training.
With sheriff’s deputies, including Undersheriff Larry Starkey, pressed into duty covering Marion and Peabody as well as other areas of the county, routine activities such as investigating an ever-rising number of car-deer accidents appear to have left little time for other investigations.
Marion now has three full-time, fully certified officers. A full staff would be five officers.
Interim Police Chief Zach Hudlin said officer Dustin Woodford recently completed training at Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and is working alongside Hudlin and Aaron Slater until the end of July. After that, Woodford will work opposite shifts from Slater.
That should leave all nights covered so the sheriff’s office does not have to cover for Marion at night. Weekend days, however, won’t be covered by Marion police department.
With resignations of both Peabody Police Chief Travis Wilson and officer Presley Mabe, Peabody is left with one officer, Medina Sulejmani. She has a conditional offer from Park City and is likely to resign soon, leaving the city with no police.
The sheriff’s office has 11 full-time certified officers counting the sheriff, undersheriff, and jail administrator, and one opening for a deputy, Starkey said. All recently-hired deputies have completed training.