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First of two new GPD officers, DeWitt sworn in
Two new Greencastle City Police officers will soon be patrolling the local community, thanks to recent action by the Board of Works.
The first of those, Billy DeWitt, was sworn in Monday morning as a probationary officer. He was selected by the Greencastle Board of Works and Safety following the recommendation of the GPD Board of Captains to fill the 17th police position that was added in the 2022 budget.
The second new officer, Justin Herd, was approved by the Board of Works at its February meeting and will be sworn in as soon as he qualifies for PERF (the Public Employee Retirement Fund) and passes a physical.
Herd was selected following a vacancy created by the resignation of Seth Doty, who had just been sworn in last August.
But Monday was DeWitt’s day as he was accompanied by about nine other department members and eight family members.
“I appreciate everyone being here,” said DeWitt, who has served as a GPD reserve officer for the last two years. “Thanks to the department for giving me a chance. I look forward to being here a long time.
“This is what I wanted to do.”
Originally from Mesa, Ariz., DeWitt and his wife and two children live in the Bainbridge area
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 18 and became a military police officer. DeWitt later worked as a women’s prison, earning the rank of sergeant.
During his recent interview with the Board of Works, members wondered about his intentions after seeing several other young officers get hired, and after paying their way to the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, seeing them lost to larger departments.
“It’s only a hop, skip and a jump from Bainbridge to Avon,” Board of Works member Trudy Selvia suggested. “What keeps you here?”
“I’m dedicated to this department and serving this community,” DeWitt vowed.
On Monday morning, DeWitt elaborated. “When I was a kid, I had a football coach who was a police officer, and that had an influence on me.
“As I went through my career in the Navy and at the prison, I realized I wanted to work more closely with the people I served. This department is really transparent, and a great group of guys.”
Chief Tom Sutherlin is eager to have DeWitt on board for regular shifts.
“We’re just excited to have him on. He’s proven himself to us the last two years as a reserve. We’re hoping to get him to the academy soon.”
At the February Board of Works session, Herd, who also lives in Bainbridge and has been a Putnam County resident for five years, said “the Greencastle Police Department is where I plan on retiring.”
Serving as a GPD reserve officer, Herd said, “really opened my eyes about what goes into being a police officer.”
In making the motion to hire Herd unanimous, Mayor Bill Dory said at the time, “We’re going to hold you to that. We’ll be making a significant investment in your training and equipment. We hope you stay a long, long time.”
