Message From The Chief
Ten Years
June 1st, 2025 marked ten years since the reformation of the Batesville Police Department. The City of Batesville opted out of an extended standing interlocal agreement with Independence County. It has been my pleasure to help form and watch the department's development.
May 1st, 2025 marked my first full year as chief of the department. Batesville is fortunate to have the group of officers that we have, and each officer is striving to be better trained to ensure that they provide the citizens of Batesville with a police force they can be proud of. Over the past year, officers have collaborated to design more professional uniforms, started a peer counseling group and have received training in numerous areas including:
- Building clearing
- Breaching
- Firearms training and increased qualifications
- Child Forensic Interviews
- Electronic Forensics
- Bike Patrol Certifications (IPMBA)
- Accident Reconstruction and Investigation
- Crisis Intervention Training
The future looks promising for this department.
I encourage members of the community to thank officers when they see them. Oftentimes, it's easy to forget these officers are still people. Unfortunately, law enforcement is a profession where you can't - and won't - make everyone happy; however, officers strive to be professional regardless of whether they are arresting someone or trying to help someone who is having the worst day of their life. They could be assisting someone by unlocking a vehicle after leaving a volatile domestic situation, or perhaps something more traumatic, yet they still strive to be as professional as possible.
I would like to thank Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh and the Batesville City Council for their confidence in me and the support they have provided to this department. Leading a department with the caliber of officers we have will always be the highlight of my career.
