LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ Two Lawrence police officers have been
suspended after an FBI investigation into traffic tickets being
fixed in exchange for Kansas basketball tickets over a span of
several years.
The Lawrence Journal-World (http://bit.ly/yoU4B5 ) reported that
City Manager David Corliss confirmed Thursday that the person whose
traffic tickets were fixed is serving time in a federal prison
related to a broader Kansas ticket scandal.
In the scandal, seven people, including top business officials
in the athletics department, were convicted in the thefts of more
than 17,000 Jayhawk basketball tickets and at least 2,000 football
tickets. The tickets were illegally sold to brokers and others,
with the defendants pocketing the money.
Corliss declined to name the person whose tickets were fixed or
the officers who were suspended.
Corliss said Police Chief Tarik Khatib received an anonymous tip
in May 2011 about possible ticket-fixing and that information was
referred to federal authorities for an investigation. Dismissing
speeding tickets in exchange for the Kansas basketball tickets
violated the city's gratuity policy. But Corliss said investigators
did not believe any criminal charges would be forthcoming.
Khatib said he believes ``several'' members of the Lawrence
Police Department were involved in the dismissal of tickets. He
declined to estimate how many tickets were improperly dismissed.
``It's my job to make sure that it doesn't happen again,''
Khatib told the Journal-World. ``It's my job to reinforce to
employees that this is not an acceptable behavior.''
Corliss referred questions to Khatib in an email to The
Associated Press. Khatib didn't immediately return a phone call
from the AP seeking comment.
___
Information from: Lawrence Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)