City reserve officer gets full-time role with GPD

The third time proved the proverbial charm for a 28-year-old City of Greencastle Police Department reserve officer.

Jensen Clement, whose approval for a full-time role was recommended by the GPD Board of Captains, was the unanimous selection of the Greencastle Board of Public Works and Safety at its final meeting of 2023.

Clement, formerly of Plainfield but a Greencastle resident the past couple of years, has twice before been a finalist for GPD openings, including losing out to Seth Doty in 2021.

In between, to her betterment, she became a reserve officer and rose to the top of the rankings among 17 candidates who tested for the position to succeed Chris Helmer, who left the department in 2023 for another police position.

In her prior candidacies, Clement had noted that she had been involved in the National Guard with training in law enforcement and riot control among other disciplines. She also said she was certified as an EMT.

Board of Works member Trudy Selvia made the motion to accept the Board of Captains’ recommendation, pending Clement qualifying for the Public Employee Retirement Fund (PERF). Selvia encouraged runner-up candidate Mason Maillett of Plainfield to consider joining the ranks of the police reserves.

“It’s in our history that we hire from our reserves,” Selvia noted as Thom Morris and Bill Dory made the motion unanimous.

Meanwhile, the board also approved the promotion of GPD Officer Damon Ludwig from probationary officer to full-time status, effective Dec. 19, upon the recommendation of Chief Chris Jones.

Ludwig, who was hired by the city after a stint with the DePauw University Police, came to GPD having already gone through the Indiana Police Academy. When hired Dec. 19, 2022, he took the position vacated by former Chief Tom Sutherlin, who departed to join the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department as chief deputy under Sheriff Jerrod Baugh.

In other business, the Board of Works:

• Heard now-Mayor Lynda Dunbar report that a five-year contract with Metronet will supply new phones for city offices at “basically the same cost” the city currently pays, $1,236 monthly. “They’ll be able to do about everything but answer themselves,” Dunbar said as Morris made the motion for approval, which became unanimous.

• Approved the purchase of a new high-service pump for the water plant at a figure not to exceed $36,430. The purchase comes after an attempt by the department to repair a pump failed when the water did not get turned back on and the pump overheated. Morris, who made the motion for approval of the pump purchase, suggested the misstep points up the need to establish a procedure to be followed for such repairs.

• Approved sewer leak adjustments for Sandra Siddons, 711 E. Walnut St., for $783.02 and for Nancy Carlson, 324 Redbud Lane, in the amount of $572.46. While Siddons and Carlson will not be liable for the additional sewage charges caused by the leak in a one-time write-off, they are still responsible for the water use.

• Said goodbye to Mayor Dory, participating in his final board meeting. New Mayor Dunbar told the Banner Graphic that both Selvia and Morris will continue in their roles on the board, joining her to make up the panel that regularly convenes on the third Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.

The next regular session of the Board of Works is set for Wednesday, Jan. 17.