Feb 16, 2020

Police: Low meth prices prompt Wichita property crime drop

Posted Feb 16, 2020 2:00 AM

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A significant drop in methamphetamine prices led to a nearly a 20% decline in Wichita burglaries last year, according to a police official.

Thanks to the low price of meth, the theft of guns and other items from inside vehicles also was down from 2018 to 2019, Wichita Police Department Deputy Chief Jose Salcido said last month at a Criminal Justice Coordinating Council meeting.

Meth now sells for $2,400 per pound, which is the lowest price in 20 years, Salcido said.

“The market is saturated. There’s no incentive for criminals to go steal to finance their habits like in the past,” Salcido said.

The latest available state data show that the street value of meth is at $3,500 to $5,000 per pound, according to a 2018 Kansas Bureau of Investigation report. An ounce costs between $250 and $500. In 2014, however, meth prices were about three times as much at $13,000 to $15,000 for a pound and $800 to $1,200 for an ounce.

“Now it’s so cheap that there’s still theft, but they (meth users) actually get enough to buy more meth,” Salcido said.

In 2019, the city reported 255 stolen guns from vehicles, a 17.5% drop from the year prior. Theft of items from inside a car fell by 19% from 2018 to 2019.

The police department also is attributing the crime decline to public education campaigns focusing on crime prevention.