By BOB SHRALUKA
The Decatur Police Department has a new detective and a new K-9 officer.
At Decatur’s Board of Works and Safety meeting Tuesday night, new Police Chief Kevin Gerber said Corey Hamm was being recommended for promotion to the post of lieutenant detective.
He fills a position vacated by Gerber, who recently stepped up to replace Leonard Corral Jr. as chief.
Gerber said three officers were interviewed and “all did a phenomenal job, which made it a very tough decision.” Mayor Dan Rickord and council members Craig Coshow and Tyler Fulenkamp – all of whom sat in on the interviews – readily agreed.
The board accepted Gerber’s recommendation.
Hamm joined the department in February of 2011 and graduated with honors from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. He has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Indiana University, and holds certificates in Advanced Roadside Impairment Detection and Enforcement, The Reid Technique of Interviewing and Interrogation, and is a certified breath test operator.
He has been serving as one of the department’s two K-9 officers.
Prior to joining the department, Hamm was a jail officer/dispatcher with the Wells County Sheriff’s Department.
Bradley J. Stoltz is the department’s other detective.
On another matter, Gerber said the department’s newest K-9 officer, Gunner, had some safety and other issues “and it just didn’t work out.” So he was returned to where he came from and the department has a new dog, Fernier.
Arko, a K-9 the department had for several years, had to be retired due to physical ailments.
Meanwhile, Gerber said the department has a person brought on through the department’s recent “lateral” campaign. The candidate has graduated from the police academy but still must pass the required PERF (Public Employees Retirement Fund) testing.
If he/she passes, a formal announcement will be made.
In one other matter of business, the oath of office taken by taken by former chief Corral to become a member of the department’s reserve force was made a matter of record.
