New Gary police chief sworn in in unplanned ceremony

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New Gary Chief of Police Wade Ingram. | Stephanie Dowell~Sun-Times Media

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:27AM

GARY — Former Markham, Ill., Police Chief Wade Ingram became Gary’s new police chief quietly Tuesday, in an unannounced, unplanned swearing in at Banneker Elementary School.

“It was unceremonious,” Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said Wednesday while waiting to speak to legislators in Indianapolis.

Knowing she would be out of town on Wednesday, the mayor said she called Ingram who met her at the school to administer the oath.

“It was off to the side of the stage, no one even knew it was happening,” Freeman-Wilson said.

She admitted the quick action doesn’t reflect her promise of a “transparent” administration and was surprised to learn the event would be of interest to the public and media.

“I didn’t even think about that. We will give him a proper swearing in,” she said.

Acting Chief Anthony Q. Stanley has been away from the office this week due to a death in his family.

Freeman-Wilson introduced Ingram and her choice for fire chief, Teresa Everett, at a news conference two weeks ago. Everett has not been sworn in yet, however.

The mayor described Ingram as a combination of two prior police chiefs.

“He has the street smarts of (Thomas) Houston and the administrative abilities of (Garnett) Watson,” she said.

Houston was convicted in federal court of violating the civil rights of a suspect and died in prison.

Watson, who aggressively worked to institute community-oriented policing throughout the city, resigned suddenly in 2006, just weeks before then-Mayor Scott L. King resigned in the middle of his second term.

Reach Lori Caldwell at 648-3258.