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Is 9-1-1 on speed dial?

We live in a small- to medium-sized Midwestern college town. We have our share of public intox and impaired driving arrests. We occasionally have a bum stab another bum on a park bench (recall the blog from a few months ago). I personally was witness to a homeless fellow committing a lewd act on one of those park benches while I was traveling the bike trail a couple years ago. Overall, though, we're considered a safe community.

Or at least I thought we were.

However, in the past year there have been more than 35 reports of sexually related assaults or what police have dubbed "forced fondlings," during which some guy -- there's some debate as to whether it's more than one offender -- lurks in the shadows near downtown and attacks women, grabbing their various parts and otherwise violating their person.

And last night a man was arrested on charges of attempted murder, willful injury, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, eluding, drug possession with intent to deliver, and seven traffic violations after shooting someone and leading cops on a 100 mile-an-hour chase. Most disturbing? Those attempted murder shots were fired in the 2400 block of MY STREET.

We're always being ranked near the top of those "best places to live" lists. Best...according to whom?

Comments

Brianne said…
What's even scarier... best in comparison to what???

That is mighty scary though. Brett's sister Jill used to live in Topeka. There was a drug bust right next door with the SWAT team and guns and everything. Creepy!

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