There's a Scandal in Kansas City Like Few Others

There's a scandal in Kansas City. Call it the Golubski Scandal, and it taints the police there like few scandals have ever tainted police departments.

The question is whether there's a sincere effort to clean it up. Crime of this magnitude must be cleaned up. But, it might not happen in Kansas City.

Name it -- the scandal -- after Roger Golubski. He's the former detective who allegedly preyed on innocent women, sexually assaulting them, abusing them, and threatening to kill them. It was Golubski who allegedly protected drug dealers. It was Golubski who allegedly framed innocent people and sent them to jail.

So, you would ask, if it was just Golubski, why blame the whole department?

Start with the fact that Golubski spent 35 years in the department. Start with the fact that others in the department were well aware of his activity. Start with the fact that former police chief Terry Zeigler served as Golubski's partner for several years.

And take it from there.

A retired Kansas City detective, in a 2015 deposition, said it was well known throughout the department that Golubski was "having sex with Black, drug-addicted prostitutes."

Others knew.  

“Even if someone wants to argue it is just (Golubski), there’s an entire system that not only permitted him to do it, but supported him and promoted him,” said Tricia Rojo Bushnell, co-director of the Wrongful Conviction Clinic. 

Rojo Bushnell and a host of others have called for a federal investigation. The mayor, himself, once called for a federal investigation -- but that was when he was running for mayor. Once he was elected, he backed off.  “After talking and consulting with the law enforcement community here, if that’s something where I need to stand with them in that regard. I’m going to follow their lead because they’re the law enforcement professionals, not me,” Mayor Tyrone Garner said.

Somebody should remind him that when the wolf is guarding the chicken house, an internal investigation is not nearly enough. There should not only be a DOJ investigation, but a start to cleaning up the mess. You might say that is already underway, as a new police chief is conducting the internal investigation. 

My reply? The new chief is beholden to those over him. He's rubbing shoulders every day with officials who are persuading him everything is all right. When you are investigating your buds, that's called a conflict of interest. If you were a judge, you'd have to recuse yourself; if you are the chief, you should excuse yourself.

More than just that, what is the harm of a federal investigation? If you just want to get the truth, why ever would you say, "No, no, we don't want federal officers snooping around here. This is our job"? If you want the mess cleaned up, you welcome the federal officers. You say, "Yes, we are going to continue our own, internal, review, but of course you are welcome to also look. The more eyes that are on it, the better."

Coverups begin with those who try to keep things inside. Kansas City must not let that happen.