Area bicycle club addresses Topeka city council after member is bit by homeless person’s dog
18 August 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Topeka Police Department (TPD) and Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office (SNSO) will be conducting a joint effort to increase enforcement around the entire Shawnee County trail-park system.
On Aug. 17, the TPD was called to investigate an incident reported to Shawnee County Park Police on Aug. 15. The incident reportedly happened at the Warren Nature Trails near Felker Park, according to City of Topeka Director of Communications Gretchen Spiker.
The report alleged that an individual was assaulted by another individual. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Spiker.
Earlier this month, the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club said the Shunga and Landon trails weren’t safe for women and children after a person was attacked by a homeless person’s dog.
On June 15, 2023, Kim Teske, a member of the Kaw Valley Bicycle Club, was attacked by an off-leash dog. Teske was able to escape from the dog and call 911 but had to wait for more than an hour for help to arrive. The bite led to an infection, multiple weeks of antibiotics and severe pain and swelling.
In response to the June 15 incident, the Topeka Police said it had been called three times to investigate safety concerns along the trails.
“It’s been a couple years since we’ve even had an incident on the trail and that was a person who fell asleep on a park bench and left their bicycle and it disappeared while they were sleeping,” McLaughlin said. “So the trails have been fairly safe, but we do understand the concern of people seeing the homeless along. You know our own employees ride the trails and we see them as well.”
Due to recent events, heightened enforcement will start Aug. 18.