Expect to see heightened police presence in and around Naftzger Park. Here’s why
You may see heightened police presence in and around the area of Naftzger Park in downtown Wichita for the next several weeks.
The Wichita Police Department is adding “additional resources” to curb noise complaints from residents and business owners generated from large gatherings of people and cars, burnouts, drag racing and loud music, Wichita police spokesperson Andrew Ford said.
Naftzger Park is open to the public from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. daily. Anything outside of those hours is considered trespassing, per city ordinance.
“At 12 o’clock, no one should be in the footprint of the park,” Ford said in an interview. “You know, sitting on the benches, loitering around or hanging out in large groups.”
The additional resource will consist of officers making additional passes and monitoring the park, especially after hours in the night time, Ford said.
Residents can expect to see beat patrol officers and officers from specialized units from the traffic section and community response team.
A fight leads to a shooting
The increased patrol comes after an argument turned into a fight that resulted in a 64-year-old man being shot while walking with his wife in the area of the park Monday.
Officers responded to a report of a large disturbance shortly before 11:30 p.m. to the 100 block of Saint Francis. Another call reporting a shooting victim in the 100 block of South Broadway came in shortly after, police said.
The couple was walking in the area of Naftzger Park when they allegedly got into an argument with a large crowd of teens and young adults, some in their early 20s, detectives learned.
“The argument escalated into a physical altercation, leading to several individuals pursuing the victim to a nearby parking lot, where the 15-year-old male suspect shot the victim before fleeing the area,” Wichita police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said.
The 15-year-old, who is from Wichita, was taken into custody and faces charges of aggravated battery and attempted murder, Rebolledo added.
Ford, the Wichita police spokesperson, said it was an isolated incident.