Lenexa Police, July 15-31st Activity Summary

The Lenexa Police Department has released a summary of selected criminal trends. This does not reflect all police activity.

Police state that over the past two weeks, Lenexa officers have documented 668 incidents with reports and made 179 arrests.

Friday, July 22nd the Lenexa Fire Department, with assistance from both Overland Park and Merriam Fire Departments, responded to a large apartment fire at the Oak Park Village Apartments near 97th and Halsey. A firefighter, a paramedic and two police officers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and heat related issues. A 58-year-old man died in the fire which has been ruled to be accidental according to fire department investigators.

On July 27th, officers responded on and began investigations into two unrelated armed robberies. The first was an attempted robbery, which occurred around 5:25 p.m. at a gas station near 87th Street and Goddard. A Hispanic teenage male, armed with a knife, entered the store and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk, a former United States Marine, who is extensively trained in marshal arts and defensive tactics, was able to fight off the knife-wielding suspect. A surveillance camera inside the store captured a very clear picture of the suspect, which was circulated. The suspect has been identified and detectives are "on his trail." Police remind citizens that while they commend the clerks actions, they do not recommend other citizens take the same action.

The second robbery on the same day occurred just before 7:30 p.m. at a sports medicine office on Santa Fe Trail Drive near Widmer. Int this case, two black males, one armed with a rifle, robbed the business of cash. One arrest has been made and further arrests are expected shortly according to Police.

Lenexa Police also remind citizens to take preventative measures to help prevent vehicle burglaries by removing valuables from vehicles and locking all vehicle doors. Purses, GPS units, laptops and anything else valuable should be removed from vehicles. Police report a large number of vehicle burglaries have been occurring and the incidents have been all over town at all hours of the day, not just at night. No one particular area has been specifically targeted by thieves.

Further information about preventing crime is available by contacting the Lenexa Police Department's Crime Prevention Office at 913-477-7245 or on the Police Department website at www.LenexaPD.org. The department also maintains a crime mapping feature on their website, which can be found here.