Kansas and the residents of the state are losing the services of an excellent lawman.

At the end of May, Larry Welch will step down as director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

He has done a superb job as KBI director since assuming the role in 1994 at the invitation of then-Attorney General Bob Stephan. Welch became the KBI’s 10th director and served in this position under four Kansas attorneys general, including the recently sworn-in Paul Morrison.

Whether Welch’s decision to leave at this time has anything to do with the new attorney general is anyone’s guess. However, his announcement about plans to retire said nothing to indicate he has any differences with the new leadership in the AG’s office.

The KBI does not have a high public profile, and it is obvious Welch has directed the agency with the goal of being an excellent arm of the law enforcement business, conducting its affairs and efforts in a professional manner, not trying to capture headlines and public attention. Welch and his associates have been far more interested in capturing those who violate the law rather than tooting their own horns or patting themselves on the back.

Welch is a professional and served as a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent before moving into the KBI director’s office. He has put together an effective, efficient and lean staff and has gained the respect and high regard of Kansas legislators. He has kept lawmakers informed about KBI activities, and his annual reports detail the work of his agents, scientists and other members of the KBI team.

In his latest report, he notes the success of the KBI in identification and seizure of meth labs in 2006. Over the past five years, the number of meth labs seized and put out of operation has dropped from a high of 846 in 2001 to an estimated 155 for 2006. He attributed this success to the support of Kansas legislators and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the legislation that provided funding and manpower to discover, seize and destroy the labs.

He points out, however, “Before we form a circle, hold hands and sing ‘Kumbaya,’ let me hasten to admit that even one meth lab, with all its dangers and attendant dire consequences is too many, and let me also remind you that, as I have been advising you since 1997, the majority of methamphetamine in Kansas, probably more than 80 percent, has always been of foreign origin, mostly Mexican, and not manufactured locally.”

Welch tells the lawmakers the effort to seize and shut down meth labs “remains one of the most dangerous of all law enforcement activities.”

He added there still will be meth labs to seek out, investigate, seize and prosecute, but with the effectiveness of the current program, KBI agents will be able to spend more time on efforts to reduce the importation, trafficking and interdiction of methamphetamine in Kansas. He noted, “We will not completely solve our state’s methamphetamine problem, of course, until our nation’s Southern and Southwest borders are better secured, in my opinion. If that’s ever possible.”

Not only has Welch’s professionalism added stature and respect to the KBI, but also his personal manner has reflected credit on the organization.

The public must have respect for those in the law enforcement business. They don’t have to like a local police officer, a member of the sheriff’s staff, a local judge, a KBI agent or judges on high state and federal benches, BUT it is essential that citizens respect these men and women. Those in the law business, at whatever level, must perform in a manner that reflects credit on their respective agencies if our system of laws is to work and be effective.

Larry Welch certainly has done this in how he supervised and led the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. All law-abiding Kansans are better off and safer today because of the efforts of Welch and his fellow agents.

The state will miss Welch, and it is important he be succeeded by an equally committed, effective and professional individual. This is no place for political games to be played; the KBI office should never be used as a means of passing out a payback or IOU for some previous political or monetary favor.