After a rocky couple of months, the McCordsville Police Department has a new chief and he is ready to lead, serve and protect all of the Town of McCordsville. 

Recently, the interim tag was removed before Paul Casey’s name, and the second police chief in the history of McCordsville took his oath, officially making him the new chief of police. With the hiring, Casey replaces Harold Rodgers, who retired earlier this year.

Casey told Giant FM he feels “excited and humbled to have the opportunity.

“A lot of hard work and time has been put in by more people than I can mention to keep the police department moving in a pro-active and positive direction,” Casey said.

As he gets used to being in a new seat, Casey said his goal remains the same as when he was a Major and interim chief – to serve and protect the citizens.

“The primary goal is to continue to provide high quality police services to the residents of the Town of McCordsville. I will continue to seek out the best and most efficient ways to provide new and challenging training for our officers. I will continue to find creative ways to put citizens and officers in situations where they can interact and communicate on a more regular basis,” he said.

Casey also told Giant FM that while there was the transition, there are many strengths to the department, stating there are a core group of experienced officers and a town staff that has been supportive.

“In a very short period of time, the police department has become a destination location for future police officers. My main initiative is to find and hire the best and brightest people we can find. If possible, I would prefer officers that are tied to the community and have a sense of ownership and want to call McCordsville home,” Casey said.

Casey does have one piece of advice for citizens – get to know your neighbors.

“If something seems wrong or you have not seen them when you normally would, check on them or call and have us check on them. The more eyes we have helping us, the better chance we all have of keeping our community safe. If you see something, say something. Call dispatch at 317-477-4400 if you see any suspicious activity or something that is not normal, and an officer will be sent to assist you,” Casey said.

Casey also told Giant FM he is going to continue searching for ways to integrate technology into the community and increase the department’s level of communication with residents.

Mark Walker, president of the Board of Metropolitan Police Commissioners for McCordsville, praised Casey, stating he was the best candidate.

“His fresh, new ideas, initiatives and officer buy-in were all determining factors. The department had been in a fragile state since Chief Rodgers’ departure, and interim chief Casey weathered the storm and brought the department through, and we are now poised for rapid growth both in the town and police department,” Walker told Giant FM.