Consolidation

Last Friday the thirteenth I took a nighttime ride with a Riley County Police Department officer. He's one of those guys I so admire. A former U.S. Army first sergeant, he "retired" to this job, saying it was the camaraderie that was most gratifying.

Our four hours together started quietly enough. We had time to talk about the military, his days at the police academy, and some "really" important stuff - his family, the son and sports. He also shared his good feelings about Manhattan's schools and teachers.

Then about midnight the radio started crackling - chaos hit our sleepy little college town.

I watched him chase drunks and thieves. Deal with family squabbles. And baby-sit K-State kids. A shotgun was confiscated. We were always backing-up other officers. And the radio was just plain alarming (for me). Yet through it all, he never rattled. He was always under control - a professional.

Afterwards, I felt a real sense of pride, security and confidence. Here was a good man working in what seemed to be a well-oiled organization. And it gave me pause. I wondered about the RCPD.

So last week I found the old legislator, Donn Everett. He is father to the former mayor (Brad Everett), a "Semper Fi," county attorney, state representative, and state senator, who returned after public service to practice law here in Manhattan.

Donn told me how it was back in the 1960's, when he was the county attorney. He dealt with seventeen different policing organizations. None of them were very good. Some closed-up after dark. And when a serious matter came before him - like murder - he had to call the Kansas Highway Patrol for help.

Consequently, when Donn first won a state representative seat in 1969, he quickly introduced legislation patterned after what was then a recently consolidated government in Indianapolis, Indiana. His measure allowed all Riley County policing units to combine into one, if the county voters favored it. And they did.

Oh, the John Birch Society got all riled-up. "Consolidation is big government!" So they forced a second vote two years later. But it passed again by an even larger margin.

Today, Donn talks with pride about the efficiencies, effectiveness, and good people at the RCPD. It remains the only consolidated police force in the State. "You know who is in charge now. And if they're not doing the job, you kick their (butt) out."

Director Mike Watson says the RCPD delivers quality policing county wide. And the combined force offers citizens services not always available elsewhere, like skilled detectives, a bomb squad, SWAT team, and water rescue. He says efficiencies are probably clearer to those within the department, like sharing information in a centralize system and lower administrative costs.

My simple-minded observation is that "it works." And it seems to me, we all owe Mr. Everett a "Thank You!" for his foresight and wisdom in putting it together. He saw a problem, solved it through consolidation, saved us a bunch of money, and we are safer for it today. We could use more citizen-legislators like Donn Everett.

First published in the Manhattan Free Press, February 9, 2006.