New chief of police in Gary aiming high
By Lori Caldwell lcaldwell@post-trib.com February 18, 2012 11:20PM
New Gary Police Chief Wade Ingram, Sr. speaks about his job at the Public Safety Facility building in Gary, Ind. Thursday February 2, 2012. | Stephanie Dowell~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: March 20, 2012 8:02AM
GARY — At first glance, Gary’s new top cop appears quiet, soft-spoken and maybe a bit bookish.
But get him talking about Community Orienting Policing Services and Chief Wade Ingram launches into a lively, animated monologue about his plans for the city.
“I am restructuring the C.O.P.S. program here. It will be decentralized into the four sectors of the city. I’m assigning three officers to each sector and their responsibilities are going to be different,” Ingram said in an interview at his office.
Ingram, a former Chicago police sergeant and Markham, Ill., chief, was hired based on the recommendation of a search committee empaneled by Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson.
He’s still learning his way around the city, and must attend a weeklong training program designed for new chiefs at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy later this year.
But he has started meeting with officers from every division within the department and intends to initiate some of his ideas this month.
A robbery detail he developed made its first arrest on a recent Thursday night.
A three-member burglary team created earlier this year has helped drop the number of break-ins by about 16 percent, Ingram said
“I’ve directed my patrol commander that I want a police presence on Broadway. I want them out of their cars and walking business areas, doing business checks,” Ingram said.
Ingram lives in the North Lawndale area of Chicago now and has been looking for a home here.
“I could live just about anywhere,” he said, noting North Lawndale’s historically high crime rate.
Gary “reminds me of a lot of places I was assigned in Chicago,” he said, adding “there are some very nice areas here, too.”
Comparing his prior jobs to Gary quickly brought Ingram back to community-oriented police, which he described as “near and dear to my heart.”
Assigning C.O.P.S. officers to specific sectors of the city, means they can better tailor their services for residents, Ingram said.
“There are several programs I want to run. I want to have after-school programs for kids, with one officer dedicated to that program,” he said.
He hopes to establish a junior police or Explorer program similar to one he began in Markham.
Keep young people busy
While some residents and officers may think programs aimed at young people are more like social work than law enforcement, Ingram said he believes these efforts ultimately lead to less crime.
He wants the city’s youth to see police officers as a resource for help, and not just someone “who comes to arrest them.”
The after-school programs can involve sports, arts and crafts and help with homework. Ingram is looking for sites in each sector, he said. The goal is to keep children busy and involved.
“With that last heavy snow, I would have them out shoveling for senior citizens. We’ll do car washes and other fundraisers to make money to take trips,” he said.
Similarly, Ingram says he will reach out to the city’s senior community.
“I like to collect data, go door to door and collect information. If they want to give us the information, we can then make return visits and check on them,” he said.
Overall, Ingram said, he wants Gary residents to expect a professional response from all police officers, and to be treated fairly.
He will organize community meetings to discuss problems in various neighborhoods.
“We want to do our part. We want the community to see us as a positive force,” he said.
Ingram acknowledged that he has a lot to learn coming to a larger police department in a new state.
But several officers have welcomed an outsider, saying too many prior chiefs made decisions within the administration based on friendship, not ability to perform.
“I’m a fair person. In that respect, I’m the right man for the job,” he said.
Reach Lori Caldwell at 648-3258.
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