The City Beat

From your Lawrence Kansas Police Department

Information to remain safe and secure

January 2026 Edition

Chiefs Chat

Welcome to the first City Beat of 2026. It’s been a year since we started publishing and I hope you enjoy getting to know your police department and seeing the incredible work the officers and professional staff are doing to keep our...

"Robin Hood" Hacker Virtually Swoops in to Save Lawrence Woman

Just as a Lawrence widow was about to unknowingly give hackers access to her life savings, her son rushed over, shut down all her devices, and stopped the transfers, in time. How did he know? A “Robin Hood” hacker called the son and told...

Asked and Answered

What should I do if I’m involved in a crash during a blizzard? Extreme weather in the winter often leads to a lot of crashes as the snow falls. This can also cause a delayed response from police when there are more crashes than we have...

Community Invited to Attend 2026 Valor Awards

When first responders were called to a bridge where a man was threatening to jump, the outcome was far from certain. Traffic was stopped, the scene was secured, and one officer quietly approached and began talking with him. There were no...

Corporal Maurice Henry

Radio: #584 Hired: 10/15/2018 What is your superpower? I’m really fast for an old man. Tell us a weird fact you happen to know for no reason. Reindeer eyes turn blue during the winter. What would be your walk-up song? Put on - Jeezy. What...

Deputy Chief Breaks Down 2025 Crime Numbers

As 2025 ends we can start to look at local crime data reported to the department. The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data has been one of the measures we’ve reported on throughout the year. If digging into stats is your...

Excellence in Standards: The Lawrence Kansas Police Department Achieves Dual Accreditation

The Lawrence Kansas Police Department (LKPD) was awarded dual accreditation from both the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and the Kansas Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (KLEAP). What Does Dual...

January at LKPD Means Preparing for a Championship!

"Is Bill Self still the coach? Then yeah, we’re already planning." – LKPD Deputy Chief Anthony Brixius When asked why the Lawrence Police Department (LKPD) begins preparing in January for a tournament that doesn’t begin for months, the...

K9 Shadow

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOQ_Jw1TrvY[/embedyt] My name is Shadow, and while I might look like a serious professional in my vest, I’m pretty silly most of the time. My partner, Corporal Joshua Doncouse, can attest to that...

Lawrence Kansas Police and the Treatment and Recovery Center

The Teams: The Lawrence Kansas Police Department often encounters individuals who are in distress, but who have not committed a crime nor sustained a physical injury. The Treatment and Recovery Center (TRC) of Douglas County is operated...

More Than a Uniform: In Memory of Violet

In April 2010, Lieutenant Amy Rhoads welcomed her daughter Violet into the world; one of the happiest days of her life. The devastating news that Violet was born with Acute Myeloid Leukemia came too soon. For six months, Rhoads and her...

New Leads in Decades-Old Case

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKZ5lM3My4s[/embedyt] Cigarette Butt and Genetic Genealogy Key in Suspect Arrest “It’s been 9,257 days since David James Zimbrick sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl in Naismith Park and when the...

Off the Clock: An Idea Worth Investing In

“I wanted to do something other than the norm. I thought it was one of those ideas that was crazy enough that it just might work.” – Officer Anthony Harvey Jr. Most police interactions with troubled youth end once the handcuffs click...