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Police have been embarrassed by appearances of preferential treatment of its
own in two cases. But is that a pattern?

When a Topeka Police major was allowed to walk away from an alleged battery
last Sunday morning, and wasn't arrested until nine hours later, it sure
looked like preferential treatment. It's hard to see how it wasn't.

And when a police supervisor last month stepped in and prevented the arrest
of a police officer's son in a marijuana case, it didn't just appear to be
special treatment -- it was, according to Police Chief Dean Forster.

But neither the chief nor most of his 350 employees feels as if they're
receiving preferential treatment from anyone these days. In contrast, the
department's image has been battered by those two embarrassing incidents.

Forster doesn't excuse either case. Fact is, when the chief learned of the
delay in arresting battery suspect Maj. Roland Whye, Forster ordered it --
even though it's no secret he and Whye are good friends.

Late last week, Forster also pledged that any officers who erred in either
case will face consequences.

At the same time, Forster is upset at the extent to which the cases have
tarnished the department's image. The chief noted he has 350 employees --
and that two incidents add up to exactly that: two incidents.

In the case of the delayed arrest of Whye, accused of battering a female
acquaintance, Forster said Capt. Mike Padilla's decision to prevent officers
from arresting the major at the scene was "completely out in left field."

In addressing the fact that it appears Whye received special treatment,
Forster said, "Sure it does. But he didn't get it from me or this police
department. As soon as I heard about it, it was corrected."

We can't ask that the police department be perfect and make no mistakes. All
we can ask is that mistakes be dealt with swiftly and surely. Forster seems
determined to do that. And he is adamant that a force of more than 300 not
be indicted for the actions of a few.

That's a fair request. Absent information that preferential treatment of
officers and their families is more pervasive than these two cases, there's
no reason to make the incidents any bigger than they are -- which appear to
be isolated mistakes.