Asked and Answered

I had a package stolen off my porch but now I’m not home. How can I file a police report?

There are many ways to file a police report where a police officer doesn’t come to your house. The Lawrence Kansas Police Department employs civilian mobile community service technicians who can take your report over the phone or meet you wherever you are in the city. You can also file a report on the Police Department’s website at LawrenceKS.gov/police. Just click the big red button that says “File a Police Report” on the home page. Only certain types of crimes can be reported online, but more information is available on the website. Please do not try to report crimes to our social media pages – they are not monitored 24/7 and we cannot take reports that way.

If I accidentally lock my keys in the car, can the police help me open it?

Unfortunately, we cannot open your car for you. We can help facilitate a locksmith or towing company to come open it up, but it’s a service you will have to pay for. If a car is locked and there is a child inside, we will either assist in opening it or have a tow company come out to open it up for free, depending on the circumstances.

Cars are parked in yards during football games near campus. I called to complain but the officer didn’t do anything about it. Why not?

The ordinance against parking vehicles in front and side yards is exempted in the area surrounding the football stadium on game days. In 2009 the City Commission decided to exempt the area from the ordinance that prohibits yard parking. The area is bordered by West Campus Road to Tennessee Street, and 9th Street to 14th Street.

What is the difference between the Lawrence Police Department and the University of Kansas Police Department?

LKPD and KUPD are two separate agencies. KUPD is responsible for patrolling area owned and controlled by the University They are a fully authorized law enforcement agency. We have responsibility over the rest of the city. However, both departments have what’s known as reciprocal jurisdiction, which means if KU needs assistance on campus, we have the legal authority to assist, and they have the legal authority to enforce the law anywhere in the city.