Revelations that the Lawrence Police Department’s leaders were well aware of a ticket-fixing scandal within the department a year before taking any action underscores the need for the city to look outside the department for its next leader.

In 2012, Lawrence police officers were publicly accused of fixing traffic tickets in exchange for University of Kansas athletic tickets. At the time, Chief Tarik Khatib said his department “jumped on” and “vigorously” investigated the scandal. But a Journal-World investigation shows the city received multiple tips about ticket fixing well before the department took any action. In fact, despite credible concerns raised by Detective Mike McAtee, then-Police Chief Ron Olin shut down an investigation into the matter prematurely.

On May 26, 2010, officials released the names of five KU Athletics employees, including Rodney Jones, under investigation in the theft of more than $1 million in university sports tickets. McAtee immediately warned Khatib, then head of internal affairs, that police officers, specifically Sgt. Matt Sarna, were close to Jones and had done favors for him in exchange for tickets. Two months later, Olin received an anonymous letter again accusing officers of fixing police citations for Jones and others in exchange for athletic tickets.

Khatib interviewed Sarna in May 2010. Olin interviewed him thereafter. But no action was taken. In fact, Olin shut down the inquiry that summer. Not long after, he would resign his position as police chief.

Olin, a Lawrence native who had served as police chief since December 1987, immediately went to work for KU Athletics as director of security. Then-City Manager Dave Corliss appointed Khatib as police chief.

In November 2010, Jones and four other KU Athletics employees were indicted on federal conspiracy charges. The five would eventually be convicted and serve time in prison for an estimated loss of 19,000 sports tickets totaling between $1 million and $3 million. The police department’s involvement reemerged in May 2011 when another anonymous letter was delivered to Khatib alleging a a quid-pro-quo relationship between Jones and department employees.

The resulting investigation showed that at least five officers were involved in fixing police tickets in exchange for athletic tickets. Sarna resigned from the police department. Sgt. Mike Monroe was fired. At least two other officers were found to have violated department policies related to the acceptance of tickets. They were given verbal warnings.

Khatib has declined to discuss his handling of the matter. But the optics aren’t good. Either the department’s leaders –Olin and Khatib — were sloppy, or they intentionally tried to sweep the matter under the rug.

Either way, Khatib’s retirement this summer gives the city the chance to move in a new direction. Twenty-nine people have applied for the police chief opening. It seems wise, given some of the questions raised by the handling of the ticket-fixing investigation, to look outside the department for its next chief.