What is wrong with Joe Monroe?

It has been over three years since Joe Monroe took the title of Interim Chief of UK Police. There are students walking this campus who have not had a permanent police chief since they’ve been at UK.

Here’s an idea: call off the postponed search process and hire the man who should have been promoted over three years ago: Joe Monroe.

UK President Lee Todd told the Kernel Editorial Board last Wednesday that a search for a permanent police chief had not started, despite a long wait.

“I’ll be talking to Anthany Beatty and Frank Butler about what their plans are, but we don’t have a search going on right now and haven’t started one, but it’s about time we do that,” Todd said.

The search should have been conducted years ago, but why waste time and money now?

Todd lauded the job Monroe has done over the past few years and spoke of crime being reduced while Monroe has been in charge. So what is UK waiting on?

It could be the fact that they stepped up to the plate and struck out the last time a police chief position was up for grabs. In 2006, UK hired McDonald Vick, but he resigned just months after taking the job due to the discovery of a past sexual harassment incident.

Todd insisted that UK has been cautious in its approach to hiring a police chief because of past incidents but this is no time to continue this caution. This university needs a face behind its move toward a safer campus. A presence for students to go to when they have safety concerns is invaluable.

So while UK flounders in budget woes, do something that makes perfect sense. Save the money that it will take to form a committee and fly candidates in for interviews. Take that extra money and work it back into the university. Use it to give those faculty and staff members the pay raise Todd says he’s working on.

If the crime numbers are down and the time for caution is over, then the decision is easy.

After a 3-year on-the-job interview, what else does Todd and the rest of UK need to see?

Promote Joe Monroe.

It will be the best thing UK has done to making campus safer.