Back on the job eight years later
By Lori Caldwell lcaldwell@post-trib.com | 648-3258 June 16, 2012 8:56PM
ff is back at her old job as director of administrative services for the Gary Police department. | Andy Lavalley~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 18, 2012 6:03AM
GARY — Gone eight years, Gloria Lowe-Walker settled back into her old job last month, wasting no time tackling projects and priorities.
While she talked about her return as director of administrative services, Lowe-Walker reviewed a memo about an upcoming staff meeting and took a phone call to arranging recertification for communication technicians.
“Let’s do this now, I don’t want to wait until next week,” she told the caller. “If it needs to be done, let’s get it done. Get me the information today and I’ll take it to the Board of Works tomorrow.”
As the supervisor over all civilian employees at the Gary Police Department, Lowe-Walker is responsible for secretaries, clerks, radio dispatchers and other non-sworn personnel.
She replaces Latasha Richardson.
More than 80 percent of her staff are women, and many are single mothers, which fits with Lowe-Walker’s interest in improving the lives of women and children.
Before she came to work for former Chief John Roby, she was the executive director of the Gary Commission on the Status of Women.
That department, as well as the Ark transitional facility for women and Rainbow House shelter all operate without city funds, paid for instead with grants originally sought by Lowe-Walker.
“It makes me very proud that they are not a burden to taxpayers,” she said.
When the Police Department moved from 1301 Broadway to 555 Polk St., grants bought furniture and computers. Other grants provided specialty vans, digital cameras, night vision goggles, a helicopter and the area’s first FLIR thermal imaging system.
“When we moved into this facility, we were the envy of every police department,” Lowe-Walker recalled. She intends to return the financially challenged Police Department to that status.
Lowe-Walker was laid off in June 2004 after working for the city for 24 years.
She went to work for Department of Child Services and retired Dec. 31.
“I had every intention of staying retired,” she said. But when she learned the city was seeking candidates for her former job, Lowe-Walker applied.
“I’m very glad to be here and have an opportunity to do something for my community.”
