Wichita crime rises in first half 2017 compared to 2016, survey says

A survey comparing violent crimes across the country from the first half of 2016 to the first half of 2017 says crime rose in Wichita.

The survey, created by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, says that nationwide, homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults rose. Non-fatal shootings saw a decline in reports.

In Wichita, there were 19 homicides in that six month time frame this year, compared to 10 last year. Rapes and robberies also increased, while aggravated assaults and non-fatal shootings decreased in the city, the report says.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016 broadened the definition of rape. The new definition includes same-sex assaults, forcible penetration with an object, female-on-male assaults and an array of other assaults not covered under the previous definition. The old definition's focus was male-on-female assaults.

A report issued by the FBI in September correlates with the association’s findings.

The Major Cities Chiefs Association is an organization of police executives representing the larges cities in the U.S. and Canada, according to their website. They articulate the public safety needs of large cities in the formulation of criminal justice policy

This story was originally published November 25, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Wichita crime rises in first half 2017 compared to 2016, survey says."