Welcome to our online chat with Lawrence Police Chief Ron Olin.

The chat took place on Thursday, August 25, at 2:00 PM and is now closed, but you can read the full transcript on this page.

Moderator: Good afternoon. Lawrence’s chief of police, Ron Olin, is in our News Center office this afternoon to take part in another one of our online chats.

We’ve already received lots of questions early, so we’ll go ahead and get started.

If you have a question, please feel free to post it and we’ll try to get as many answered as we have time today.

Chief Ron Olin: Thank you for the invitation to be here. I am looking forward to the questions.

Joan. Lawrence: Do you support the Mayor and other Commissioner’s idea of decriminalizing marijuana? If so, how would your prevention efforts help children and their parents that want to keep drugs out of their lives completely? If not, what can you do to prevent the commissioners from making the same choice as Columbia, Missouri?

(Editor’s note: The proposal under consideration by the city commission is not to decriminalize marijuana possession, but to steer the cases into the more informal Municipal Court instead of District Court. )

Chief Ron Olin: Members of our Drug Enforcement Unit and legal staff are looking into the proposal. If we could improve our enforcement abilities by streamlining the reporting and referral to a different court, the proposal may have great merit.

Duane, Lawrence: Do you support random drug testing for all city employees and elected officials?

Chief Ron Olin: We support drug testing for cause. There should be a reason other than chance. Officers on the department may be tested anytime at the request of a supervisor for a specific reason.

Sue, Lawrence: What do you think of the idea of a citizen review board for the police department?

Chief Ron Olin: There are many kinds and styles of review boards. The latest proposal really is not precise and I cannot respond except in generalities. Some review boards interfere with the management of departments, others have caused labor strife.

we do not support boards that have those results. We do not wish to have a board that would reduce police officer accountability, weaken supervisory control, or reduce an officer’s confidentiality or due process when accused of misconduct.

louise lawrence: How can a citizen review board be allowed to see criminal justice records? Isn’t that a violation of the accused civil rights, especially when that person has not been charged or arrested?

Chief Ron Olin: In all of our actions we are very careful to protect privacy and not publicize accusations that may cause harm, or even ridicule, to citizens. Any citizen review board would require some kind of written non-disclosure agreement by the members in order to meet the federal and state requirements for handling some criminal justice records.

Allison , Lawrence: What can we do about downtown? When I was there last week with my kids we passed one obviously mentally ill man yelling the “F” word at a traffic light for 20 minutes and another digging to the bottom of a trash can eating muffins out of it even though you can get plenty of free food in this town. There are definitely more dangerous looking people hanging around down there than I can remember in my 15 years here. Its going to economically hurt it before long.

Chief Ron Olin: The members of the police department are very concerned about the livability of our downtown. In 2005, we have tried as often as possible to have a very visible police presence using a variety of tactics including foot-patrol, bicycle patrol, and motorcycle patrol to supplement our regular unit. Most citizens would be pleased to know that the downtown is its own patrol district, so even without specialized officers there is almost always a police officer close.

Melanie from Lawrence: Why doesn’t the city put a stop to joggers running along Wakarusa street in the early morning? We have put so much money into sidewalks and bike paths, but the joggers still run in the road, and put themselves and drivers in danger.

Chief Ron Olin: We have problems with pedestrians in the roadway all over town. This is a dangerous behavior and we try to stop those we see in the street inappropriately and request their future compliance with our ordinances.

Jeff C – Lawrence: So how is the the pd’s relationship with the new DA who used to be a defense attorney?

Chief Ron Olin: The police department was dealing with a county attorney since I began my career. During the ensuing years I have worked with 8 or 9 county or district attorneys and each new official has a different style, many different assistants, and a different organizational culture. The new DA has continued meeting with the sheriff and me each monday morning, has openly received critique and our opinions, and has been honest and open in his critique of our operation when merited. We continue to work towards improving even further our smooth and cooperative relationship.

Tony Lawrence: Chief, this is not so much a question, but more of a pat on the back. I have lived in Lawrence The majority of my life. I have seen Lawrence grow from a small town into the small city we now call home. It’s evolution and growth have been very fast and sometimes hazardous. I have seen the Law enforcement community grow incrementally keeping pace with current trends in Lawrence. My comment is, I believe you have done an outstanding job of keeping Lawrence a great place to live and raise children. I feel this community it lucky to have a man with your qualifications leading us into an uncertain and possibly dangerous future. So, thanks for all you have done. I hope you plan on sticking around for some time. Tony.

Chief Ron Olin: You are very welcome. I love Lawrence, too. It has been an honor to be the chief of police.

Terry: Are there gangs in Lawrence? If so, what kind, what are the signs to watch for, and what is being done to protect persons and property from any illegal gang activities?

Chief Ron Olin: The gang culture is still a presence in Lawrence and there are people who claim membership in gangs. Regionally, there are established gangs in the Kansas City, Wichita, and Topeka areas as well. Many of these gang members visit our city. Graffiti removal is an essential tool against gangs as is education to parents and young adults, and active enforcement strategies.

Steve From Wichita: What is being done about under age drinking ?

Chief Ron Olin: The issue of under age drinking is a difficult one that pits law enforcement against the thousands of our students who wish to participate in the night life of our city but are not 21 years of age. We have supported educational efforts for students, bar owners, bar employees, and officers. We also regularly conduct bar checks and write minors in possession tickets when possible.

Moderator: Thanks to everyone for participating. This next question will have to be our last one.

Mark, Lawrence: With the city’s continued growth how many new officers do you expect to hire, if any?

Chief Ron Olin: The city is growing and requests for police service grow every year. The police department and the city managers office are currently working toward implementation of our Resource Plan. The plan was requested by the City Commission and presents the department with a series of measures by which we could justify requesting expansion of the department. As we work with the Resource Plan, we will be asking for new staff in the 2006 budget process if appropriate.

Moderator: Thanks to everyone for participating in today’s chat. We’re trying to do these on a more regular basis with our local elected leaders and top government administrators.

Chief, thanks for coming down today to take part in this chat.

Chief Ron Olin: You are welcome. I enjoyed the questions and the interest from members of our community.