Can't let a one-star rating stand by itself when my experience is so very different. We had a house fire two years ago and, while we were fighting the fire after having called 911, an officer showed up right away. A second officer arrived with the fire department and she put us in a warm patrol car (it was early December and bitterly cold outside) and stayed with us until the fire captain reported the house safe to re-enter. So to find out more about OPD, I signed up for the Citizens' Police Academy which is one of the department's community outreach programs. That was an amazing experience. The classes covered officer selection and accession, training and standards, deployment, and operations and equipment. The most important part, though was not just the details of "what" and "how" but also the "why" of the department's SOPs. I learned so much about procedures and their enforcement when I rode along on a night shift with the same officer who took care of us when we had the fire. The department is full of outreach programs that give insight into the department and to the officers who serve us . . . Coffee with a Cop, public meeting with the chief and his senior officers, Neighborhood Watch (the ones that I've attended so far), the police advisory commission, and a host of others. The most valuable is their presence on social media; the people who are tied in to that presence receive timely warnings and alerts, requests for assistance, and general policing information I honestly don't know how the department could be more open to interacting with the general public. I haven't been stopped for an infraction (knock on wood) but I have interacted with several officers in other contexts and they have been uniformly courteous, friendly, and professional with an obvious desire to help. Chief Menke won't remember me (might be a good thing!) even though I've had the opportunity to talk briefly with him one-on-one twice in the last year. I have come away from each of those conversations with the strong sense of his dedication, high standards for his officers, strict enforcement of those standards, and his ongoing concern for the safety of the residents of and visitors to Olathe. So, well done, Chief Menke; I highly recommend the officers of your department and the non-sworn staff as well. (And I have no clue as to why Yelp lists me as living in San Francisco when I live in Olathe?!?!?) read more

They are weak and lazy. Condescending and uncooperative so they can sit on their phone in the cruiser somewhere.

When Shadows Leave My mind is numb my heart, hollow What becomes of me when my shadow won't follow When light fades to black and my life splits and cracks when the silence falls so deep not even the bravest dare to speak I retrace my steps toward my home but finding no solid ground only empty echo's that emanates from the loam generating no comfort from their sounds Was I ever truly whole or just this flicker of a dream a fragment trapped inside someone else's fraying seams The sun moves on the earth obeys its spin but something lost no longer breathes within Tongue of the Pit They slithered in silence, not claw, not chain-- But velvet of voice, and logic profane. A smile carved deep in a mask of the "just", They sifted my soul, turned marrow to dust. No fire, no pitchfork, no hellhound's cry-- Just questions coiled tight like a sharpened knife to end a life. They poured me like wine into a chalice of lies, And drank 'til I choked on my own alibis. "Tell us," they hissed, with candlelit grin, "You've nothing to fear, just speak of the sin." And speak I did, though I knew not the tale-- They whispered the plot, and I breathed out the veil. Our lives became their feast, Named by my tongue as the sacrificial beast. They sang our guilt with a serpent's tone, Binding our souls in a howl and a moan. Their glee was a growl, a purr in the dark-- They carved our fate with my coward's spark. Each word I gave, they forged into chains, 'Til truth lay drowned in infernal remains. Now I sit in a cell not built by stone, But shaped from regret I call my own. They wear my voice like a crown of soul, And howl in the dark where the end begins. I did not fall--I was lowered, slow. With every whisper, I helped them grow. And when the flames came licking the floor, It was my breath that opened the door. A Week in the Hollow They came not with mercy, but with silence so cold, Ripped my world apart, took my blood and my hold. My children, my wife--snatched from my hands, Thrown into shadows, stripped of all our plans. Left me alone in a house I despised, Walls closing in, where hope slowly died. No voice to plead, no friend in sight, Just time stretching endless, a slow-falling night. Endlessly waiting, an endless despair, Where every tick tightened, the noose in the air. They fed me the lies, whispered my guilt, Made my own heart bleed, my sanity wilt. They carved me from the man I once knew, Made me the villain, twisted and cruel. Each breath a burden, each thought a chain, Until all that remained was sorrow and pain. They stripped me of light, left only the worst, A hollowed-out ghost in the shadows accursed. And when the truth came, it wasn't my own-- It was the dark seed they had quietly sown. Hollow Hours A bereft in a prison of my own skin, No light, no love--just the darkness within. They took what I cherished, then left me to rot, In a house full of ghosts, in a world that forgot. I waited, I broke, I begged to be free, But freedom was never ever meant for me. They crafted my ruin, made sure it would stick, And turned my own mind against me, so fucking quick. They sowed seeds of hatred, deep in my chest, Fed doubts and poison, denied me rest. Whispers that twisted the truth into shame, Fanning a fire I couldn't name. Their venom seeped in, cold and slow-- A hatred I carried but didn't know. It grew in the silence, it fed on despair, Until I was no longer the person standing there. Not me, but the shadow they shaped with their lies, A man who believes he deserves his demise. And when the hate burned the last of my light, They smiled in the dark, eroding from sight. read more

The police were willing to help me during our interaction. They offered to take me to the hospital to get checked out.

I got pulled over on 2-25-2025, by a Olathe officer. When I asked him why he was pulling me over his response was for expired plates. I knew at that moment that this was a bogus police stop. I had just renewed my plates as of jan. Of 2025. In my own personal opinion is that I was traveling in Olathe KS. With MO. Tages in a 24 year car that was dirty & rusted on the out side. I knew it was not for speeding as I had the cruse control set @ 66 mph in a 70mph zone. It was a unjust stop based on the age & condition of my car. Everything was correct and in well working condition with my car. This is only my opinion but I believe that I was targeted by the police by the LOOKS of my car. read more

This is the email to HR and sums up my experience: Mrs. Dunn, I passed the process with the Riverside Missouri Police Department and they have selected me as an approved applicant pending background. I'd like to remove myself from your process. Your polygraph examiner doesn't take into account past trauma and that trauma as a child. They actually view it as deception. While your polygraph tester was professional, the next polygraph tester I conducted my test with advised me that there are extenuating circumstances that lead to physical cues and require a further determination. Thank you for the opportunity, but there are other agencies with more competent personnel that understand trauma plays into that test. I provided more information than I ever wanted to and wasn't deceptive by any means. I was very disheartened by the way that test was conducted during over 5 hours of interrogation. I've protected the Vice President of the United States and had a prestigious career with 22 years as a United States Army veteran. This includes a Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, a Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and not so much as a negative counseling during my time as an Active Duty service member. Olathe department needs a lot of work with how the application process is conducted. I will be posting this to your Google and other hiring sites for others so that they can make a better determination. Respectfully, Justin Brown read more

Got stopped for speeding in the city Olathe, Kansas. I had a valid concealed carry permit and told the officer and also told him I had a loaded firearm in a closed backpack on the front seat. The officer made a very threatening statement to me. I felt very intimidated and scared of this officer. I filed two complaints with his department and they backed the officer (of course). When I went to court on the ticket another Olathe PD officer said looks like you met our traffic Nazi. If this officer has such a bad reputation and the department isn't doing anything to discipline him, it worries me. I have filed a complaint with the Department of Justice in hopes that someone takes this seriously and stops this officer's bad behavior. read more

THE OLATHE POLICE DEPARTMENT CANT PROTECT YOU AGAINST CYBER STALKING I have tried to open a police report FIVE times. I have Bluetooth & IP addresses. I have the device names, serial numbers IMEI numbers, I have backend Google logs of my phone being cloned w all the transfer info from device to device. I have log in & out information from all off the apps he follows me on I have Facebook back end data I have the very 1st emails he sent changing all my passwords & slowly taking over every aspect of my privacy while surveiling me they location, downloading my voicemails & texts including things involving my 14 year old. THEY DONT UNDERSTAND TECHNOLOGY. THE DONT KNOW WHAT AN IP is, a VPN or a security key. I got a PFA its not even temporary. The trial is over a month away. DO BETTER OLATHE POLICE CHIEF MIKE BUTAUD & MAYOR JOHN BACON. I've asked for help OVER & OVER. I know the person doing this he is on felony probation but who cares about that. It's gone on & on until finally my paycheck was stolen. PATHETIC. read more

Officer Eric Clark was a big help this morning. I appreciate the blue being out on severe mornings like we had today. Thank you.

Filed a complaint on an officer regarding behavior as I called 911 and then was turned into a terry stop regarding fishing asking for a fishing license, 3 pole permit etc etc. The cop was young and clearly out of line I made it clear he wasn't a warden and I didn't have a pole or line in the water and hadn't the entire time I had been there as I had to call 911 before I even got to start. Not to mention I had to then explain the law to him regarding the 3 pole permit as I told him I didn't have one anyways and it didn't matter he then said, well a park ranger or a game warden can give you a ticket and I immediately corrected him again on the law that I wasn't breaking as 1. I wasn't fishing I was simply at a public park walking with my fishing poles and tackle the lines reeled up. 2. I can hold or possess more than 2 poles, I could have 8 if I wanted, I just can't have more than 2 lines in the water without the permit. 3. I pointed out the fact it was physically impossible to use all 3 poles as 2 of them had lures and 1 was setup for worms on the bottom. Like literal common sense made him clearly look stupid and questioned him and he backtracked to a ranger or warden will give you a ticket for that I shut him down Infront of his female SGT he was trying to impress and embarrassed him. I then asked for his badge number and name and called their department filed a report I was told no sooner than Tuesday I'd receive a call and email I received nothing. I also made sure whilst reporting the officer to tell the pig on the phone to keep his officers in line they shouldn't have a 21-year-old kid educating them on the law is and is NOT and arguing with a cop around the same age. Let alone A LAW THEY AREN'T ABLE TO ENFORCE AND THAT IT WAS ALL ON CAMERA THEIRS AND MINE. I thought it was so funny after all was said and done I made sure the pig in the office knew I had it all recorded on my dash camera audio and video absolutely taunted it and his body camera was on so I'm sure he saw it too AND ONTOP OF IT THE PIG ON THE PHONE TRIED TO DEFEND HIS OFFICER AND SAY SOME OFFICERS CAN ENFORCE FISHING LAWS IN CITY LIMITS, I CUT HIM OFF I WASN'T FISHING TO BEGIN WITH I WAS HOLDING MY FISHING POLES WALKING THROUGH A PARK. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WERE FISHING 5 MINUTES BEFORE THEY HAVE TO SEE IT PHYSICALLY OTHERWISE YOU WERE NOT FISHING WHEN THEY STOPPED YOU, ITS KS LAW I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT ON HIM FOR NOT COMPRHENDING THE LAW TOO BUT I DON'T RECALL HIS NAME AND I NEVER GOT A EMAIL OR CALL BACK SO HOPE YOU READ THIS :). read more

What a joke. I've owned 5 houses in Olathe over the years. Several years ago the police made the decision that they were going to write more bogus tickets to help funnel additional funds to the city. The year they announced it, I received 6 tickets which were all made up by the traffic cops (not wearing contacts - I don't wear contacts, illegal lane change - I use my blinker every time, running a stop sign - 3 second stop, etc.) That year, I sold my $500K house, moved out of the city and vowed to NEVER spend another dime in Olathe. It's been 5 years and I still have yet to spend money in Olathe. Congratulation Olathe police dept on running off a tax payer who spent THOUSANDS in Olathe. To further drive home how horrible the police here are: the final year I lived in Olathe, a woman ran into my car. I was within eye shot of the police department. I had blood running down my face. The gal that hit me called 911. The fire department showed, EMT showed.... no cops. A second call was made. Then a third. Eventually, I called in from my cell and told them that I could see them because we were that close. After another 10 minutes a cop showed. This morbidly obese man could hardly get out of his car and was winded by the time he made it to us. Pitiful. read more

Received a speeding ticket March 2, 2019...not good! However officer Krefft was very polite and professional. No lectures or attitude. While I was not happy about getting a ticket, I came away with a good feeling about the experience considering how it could have went. Very pleased with the Olathe Police Department as a whole. Whenever I have contacted them to report something in our neighborhood, they have responded promptly and efficiently. Keep up the good work! read more

By far the most amazing people ever! So here's my story...I was booking it on the highway and suddenly out of nowhere a police officer popped up behind me and flashed his lights, LIKE A GOOD OFFICER DOES! So I proceed to slam on my brakes to slide over to the side of the road. I waited only a few seconds, so the policeman was awesome at not making me wait. Then he said, "bro that was awesome! I need to learn how to drift like that" and completely astounded I was like "dude come on in. I will show you!" And he said "oh no I am on the job, I couldn't do that. But if you gave me your number we could totally get together and go drifting sometime" and then I was like " man hell yes" and i gave him my number and we eventually went out! Long story short i hope to get pulled over by them again while pushing the pedal to metal cause I got a best friend now! I would definitely reccomend getting pulled over by them! Five stars in my book man! Keep on keepin on! read more