It’s hard to come up with a better word than Mayor Mike Amyx used to describe Lawrence Police Chief Ron Olin: professional.

“He’s a no-nonsense type of individual,” Amyx said when commenting on Olin’s retirement announcement Tuesday, “but a true, true professional.”

A guy could do a lot worse than to end a 39-year law enforcement career — including 23 years as police chief in a single community — with that reputation.

During those 23 years, Olin was bound to face some challenges and some critics. Some people saw his by-the-book approach as too rigid or wanted the police department to be more transparent to the public. While those criticisms probably had some validity, Olin deserves credit for running a police department that has been largely without scandal or controversy under his leadership.

Olin holds a doctorate in philosophy from Kansas University and is more of a scholar than a good ol’ boy. He emphasized top-notch training and equipment for his officers, who showed considerable loyalty to their chief. A retired captain commenting on Olin’s retirement noted the chief “had class” and “set the standard of conduct in the police department.”

Flamboyant he was not. Olin’s style was all about efficiency, not publicity. Although he seldom was in the spotlight, there was no question about who was in charge. His preference for keeping a low profile could be part of the reason he survived for so long in such a high-profile job.

For the most part the chief had a good sense of how a police department should operate in a university city. Serious crimes or disturbances call for a different kind of enforcement than a happy crowd jamming Massachusetts Street celebrating a national basketball championship.

Anyone who serves as chief of police in a community for 23 years is unlikely to win a popularity contest. The respect of the community and a reputation as “a true, true professional” should be satisfying retirement tributes for Chief Olin.