Gary Mayor-elect Jerome Prince tapped retired Lt. Colonel Richard Ligon to be Gary’s new police chief when his administration takes over on Jan. 1.
The mayor-elect touted Ligon’s law enforcement and military experience as well as his work as a coach to area youth. Ligon, of Gary, has 36 years of military service in the U.S. Army and Indiana Army National Guard.
“Lt. Colonel Ligon is part of the fabric of our community,” Prince said.
Ligon was a federal law enforcement agent with the U.S. Postal Service for 23 years. He also has served as a Gary police commissioner, an Indiana parole agent and a juvenile probation officer and supervisor. He unsuccessfully ran three times for Lake County Sheriff.
“I believe he is well prepared to step into the position,” Prince said.
Both men said they plan to build on the successes of the current administration and make changes were necessary to ensure the department continues to make progress.
“We need to be proactive,” Ligon said. He plans to work with those individuals, social clubs and businesses within the community — like the Police Athletic League and the various sororities and fraternities in the city — to build opportunities and help the relationship between police and the community grow.
“As chief, I plan a strong emphasis on developing mutual trust between the Gary Police Department and the community,” Ligon said.
He plans to open lines of communication with the department’s current commanders and the president of the police union to discuss where the department is at and develop priorities moving forward.
Ligon said he has no immediate intention to change the existing command staff, and Prince said he has no intention of interfering.
“If it is not broke, don’t fix it,” Ligon said. He plans to begin having conversations with current commanders to learn what is working and what is not.
For his part, Prince said he intends on leaving the management of the police department to his chief and will work to support him on the administrative end.
“There will be no micromanaging from city hall,” Prince said. As mayor, he said that he will be looking at ways to enhance the enforcement of existing codes and ordinances. “We have to do everything in our power to back the chief up.”
Carrie Napoleon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
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