7 September 2000

Attorney General Asked To Investigate RCPD Funds

By Jon A. Brake

The rumors are true.

The Riley County Law Enforcement Agency (Law Board) has asked Kansas Attorney General Carla Stoval to investigate
the retirement procedures of the Riley County Police Department (RCPD).

Riley County Attorney Bill Kennedy said Tuesday that he and RCPD Director Mike Watson took the matter to the Attorney
General’s Office for the Law Board.

Kennedy said the Attorney General’s Office was asked to look into the RCPD retirement benefit issues.

Sources close to the Department said that some officers are being paid more in retirement than they earned while working for
the department. Large amounts of money paid for unused sick leave and vacation time may have been paid as salaries. If this
were true that would raise an officer’s average pay for the past three years and would account for higher retirement
payments.

Kennedy was asked if the Attorney General was looking into the five missing folders?

This involved a Federal Law passed several years ago that required guns being removed from police officers convicted of
Domestic Abuse.

Kennedy said the Attorney General was only asked to investigate retirement benefit issues.

Kennedy was asked if the Attorney General was to look into how grant money was spent. Kennedy again responded with
"The Attorney General was asked to look at the RCPD retirement benefit issues."

Other Law Board members would not comment.