Muncie Mayor-Elect Chooses Police Leadership And City Legal Services

An 18-year veteran officer has been selected to lead the Muncie Police Department under Dan Ridenour’s administration.  IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.

Mayor-elect Dan Ridenour says other police officers have described the new chief and deputy chief as “uncorruptable.”

Nathan Sloan will lead the department come January.  In his time on the force, he’s served in SWAT, on the scuba dive team, and as an investigator.  Sloan has selected Melissa Pease to serve as deputy chief.

Both will help with Ridenour’s goals of department reform, including greater community outreach, better communication, and revamping the officer training program.

Sloan says the department, which is currently facing two public lawsuits, wants to focus on the community.

“Yeah, we’re really going to pay attention to our accountability and credibility moving forward – it’s really important to us – and really public engagement as well.  We really want to reach back out to the public, and make some amends, and mend some fences there.”

Ridenour has also selected the law firm of Beasley and Gilkison to take care of the city’s legal business, with Sara Shade to serve as City Attorney.

The mayor-elect is also considering bringing back Muncie’s Deputy Mayor position.  He says it’s currently unfunded and he would not fill the seat if it didn’t have a budget.

“You probably will see me, rather quickly, getting in front of the [city] council and seeing if we can come up with ways that we can fill that position.”

The mayor-elect says some department head positions may not be filled by his swearing-in on January 1.  He says second interviews for fire chief applicants are taking place now.