BLOG SERIES TITLE:

"Look for the Good in Parsons: A Blueprint for Safer Communities"

This is the first of the 7 Pillars of Crime Prevention & Community Livability I'll be sharing with the community. Our community has always had great potential and it's time for us all to 'Look for the Good in Parsons." We can see the potential and build a safer future. The crime trend since 2009 has been moving toward lower crime and a safer community.

A proactive approach to policing that focuses on people, strengthens neighborhoods, and prevents crime before it happens is our goal. Can it happen 100% of the time - of course not - we all know the SE Kansas does not have unlimited resources. But police and the community can try. Naysayers will always complain and throw rocks, that's not new, just like there will always be bullies. But a community should never cater to these Drama Llamas.

PART 1: Vision - Seeing What Others Miss
Effective crime prevention does not begin with a patrol car, a report, or even a 911 call. It begins much earlier-with how we choose to see our community, interpret risk, and define our role within it.

Policing today is undergoing a structural shift that cannot be ignored. Across the profession, agencies are moving away from purely reactive enforcement models and toward proactive, intelligence-informed, and community-centered approaches. This evolution is supported by organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which has consistently emphasized that sustainable public safety outcomes are achieved when data, partnerships, and prevention strategies are integrated into daily operations rather than treated as separate initiatives.

At its core, this is about vision.

Vision as a policing function-not a slogan
In Parsons, "look for the good" is not a feel-good message or public relations theme. It is a deliberate operational mindset. Vision in policing means training ourselves to see beyond incidents and instead identify patterns, conditions, and opportunities that shape those incidents in the first place. It's the same if you own or run a business, its the same for your neighborhood.

It asks a different set of questions:

1. What conditions are creating repeated calls in a specific area?
2. Where are the informal community strengths that are not reflected in crime reports?
3. Which individuals, families, or neighborhoods would benefit from engagement before enforcement becomes necessary?
4. What risks are emerging that have not yet become crime-but are trending in that direction?
5. This is where modern policing becomes more effective-not by doing more of the same, but by seeing differently.

From reaction to anticipation
Traditional policing has often been measured by response time and case clearance. Those metrics still matter. But they do not fully capture prevention, which is where the most meaningful safety gains occur.

Forward-leaning agencies are increasingly adopting principles consistent with intelligence-led and community policing models: using data, officer insight, and community input to anticipate problems rather than simply respond to them after harm has occurred.

When vision is applied correctly:

• Patterns are identified before they become crises
• Chronic locations are addressed through problem-solving rather than repeated enforcement cycles
• Social indicators of disorder are treated as early warning signals, not background noise
• Resources are deployed strategically, not just geographically
• This is not theoretical. It is practical policing discipline.

Seeing strengths, not just deficits
One of the most underutilized tools in public safety is the ability to recognize community assets. Every neighborhood in Parsons has them-stable households, engaged business owners, informal mentors, faith-based support systems, and residents who care deeply but are not always formally connected to public safety efforts. Our schools are strong and out community college is a cornerstone for our region.

Looking for the good means actively identifying those strengths and integrating them into the safety ecosystem. When police only focus on problems, they miss the structures that prevent problems from growing in the first place.

Sustainable crime reduction is rarely achieved by enforcement alone. It is achieved when enforcement is paired with community capacity.

Why this matters for Parsons specifically
Smaller communities like Parsons are uniquely positioned to benefit from a vision-driven approach to policing. We are small enough that relationships matter deeply, but complex enough that emerging risks-substance abuse trends, property crime cycles, and social instability-can develop quietly before becoming visible.

That makes early recognition critical. In practical terms, vision allows us to:

1. Intervene earlier in problem areas
2. Strengthen partnerships before trust is tested by crisis
3. Allocate limited resources more effectively
4. Prevent small issues from becoming long-term public safety burdens

The professional standard
This approach is not optional in modern policing-it is becoming the expectation. The International Association of Chiefs of Police and similar professional bodies continue to reinforce that the future of law enforcement is rooted in prevention, collaboration, and informed decision-making rather than isolated incident response.

In that context, vision is not abstract leadership language. It is a professional requirement.

Bottom line
Vision changes the trajectory of policing. It moves us from simply answering calls to understanding why calls are happening. It replaces short-term reaction with long-term prevention. And most importantly, it ensures that in Parsons, we are not just responding to problems-we are actively working to see them early enough to prevent them altogether.

Robert Spinks, MA, MS

Chief's Blog - Parsons Police Department
By Chief Robert Spinks

The 9 PM Routine: A Simple Habit That Prevents Crime

Every community wants to feel safe. In Parsons, Kansas, we are fortunate to live in a place where neighbors still look out for one another and where the police department works closely with citizens to prevent crime before it happens. One of the simplest and most effective crime-prevention habits any household can adopt is something called the 9 PM Routine.

It takes less than five minutes each evening, but it can prevent many of the most common crimes we see across the country.

What Is the 9 PM Routine?

The 9 PM Routine is a national crime prevention campaign that encourages residents to conduct a quick nightly security check of their homes and vehicles. The concept began with law enforcement in Pasco County, Florida in 2017 and has since spread to police departments across the United States and Canada.

The goal is simple:
Make your home and property a harder target for criminals.

Most property crimes - especially thefts from vehicles and burglaries - are crimes of opportunity. Criminals are often simply looking for the easiest target. Unlocked cars, open garages, or valuables left in plain sight create opportunities that offenders exploit. The 9 PM Routine reminds residents to take a moment each evening to remove those opportunities.

The Five-Minute Checklist
At 9:00 PM each night, take a quick walk through your property and check the following:

🔒 Lock vehicle doors
Many vehicle burglaries occur simply because the vehicle was left unlocked.

🚗 Remove valuables from your car
Wallets, firearms, purses, electronics, tools, and garage door openers should not be left in vehicles.

🏠 Lock doors and windows on your home
Even in small communities, unlocked doors can invite crime.

🚪 Close and secure garage doors and sheds

💡 Turn on exterior lighting
Good lighting reduces hiding places and deters criminal activity.

📦 Bring in packages, bikes, and tools

🚨 Activate alarm systems or security cameras

These simple steps can significantly reduce theft and burglary risks.

Why It Matters in Communities Like Parsons
Small communities are not immune to crime. In fact, property crimes often occur in quiet neighborhoods because offenders believe residents are less likely to lock doors or secure property.

Across the country, police departments consistently report that a large percentage of theft-from-vehicle cases involve unlocked vehicles.

When someone walks down a street pulling on car door handles, they are not breaking into cars. They are simply checking for unlocked ones.

That is why the 9 PM Routine works.

It removes the opportunity.

And when opportunity disappears, many crimes never occur.

Crime Prevention Is a Community Partnership
One of the most important principles in modern policing is this:

Police cannot prevent crime alone.

Crime prevention works best when citizens and law enforcement work together. Programs like the 9 PM Routine empower residents to play a direct role in protecting their homes and neighborhoods.

When thousands of households in a community take a few minutes to secure their property every night, it changes the environment for criminals. It tells them:

This is not an easy place to commit crime.

Make It a Family Habit
The best way to adopt the 9 PM Routine is to make it part of your nightly schedule.

Many families:

• Set a phone alarm for 9:00 PM
• Ask children to help check doors or lights
• Make it part of the nightly routine before bed

Reporting Suspicious Activity
Crime prevention also includes reporting suspicious activity. If you see something unusual in your neighborhood:

🚨 Emergency: Call 911
📞 Non-emergency Parsons Police number is 620-421-7060

Five Minutes That Can Prevent a Crime
The 9 PM Routine reminds us that crime prevention often comes down to simple habits.

• Lock a door.
• Turn on a light.
• Bring valuables inside.

These small actions send a powerful message that our community is paying attention.

And when communities pay attention, crime has a harder time finding opportunity.

Tonight at 9 PM, take a few minutes to check your home and vehicles.

You might prevent a crime before it ever happens.