Crime & Safety in Lawrence, KS
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
4.71
per 1,000 residents
+5% vs national
Property Crime Rate
21.57
per 1,000 residents
-1% vs national
Total Crimes
2,539
2024
Violent Clearance
41%
cases solved
-4% vs national
Property Clearance
12%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+40%
vs 50K-100K avg
+40% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
+200.1%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Lawrence Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Lawrence vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Lawrence is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Lawrence police solve 80% of murder cases but only 11% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 5 | 0.05 | 80.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 72 | 0.75 | 15.3% |
| Robbery | Violent | 32 | 0.33 | 31.3% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 337 | 3.49 | 47.2% |
| Burglary | Property | 222 | 2.30 | 14.0% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,703 | 17.62 | 11.9% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 159 | 1.65 | 10.7% |
Lawrence, KS reported 455 violent crimes and 2,084 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 4.71 per 1,000 residents is 5.1% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 41% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,703 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 18.1% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Lawrence's violent crime rate is 40% higher. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 455 | 2,084 | 4.71 | 21.57 |
| 2023 | 151 | 750 | 1.57 | 7.79 |
| 2022 | 448 | 2,098 | 4.69 | 21.95 |
| 2021 | 449 | 2,370 | 4.51 | 23.81 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |