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Police chief, sheriff oppose merging of law enforcement

By Brandon Bartlett - bio | email | Twitter
Posted by Sarah Harlan - email

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - Both the police chief and sheriff believe merging local enforcement is a bad idea.

Evansville Police Chief Brad Hill and Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams prefer the status quo as a committee looks into government re-organization.

Tuesday night, the chief said there's just too much evidence against one department serving all people.

Chief Hill said he knows not everyone will agree with his decision when it comes to consolidation.

"Leave law enforcement alone," Chief Hill said.

Leaving law enforcement "as is" was his recommendation to members of the Evansville Vanderburgh County Re-organization Committee.

"It's not a positive move for law enforcement," Chief Hill said.

Chief Hill said merging the police department and the sheriff's office to form one unified agency has proved destructive for neighboring cities.

He said metro police departments, like those in Indianapolis and Louisville, actually saw an increase in crime rates and response time, and a decline in morale and money saved.

"It usually saves nothing or it can cost substantially more," Chief Hill said.

The chief said if forced to merge, he believes the next best option is to keep both a chief and a sheriff.

He said the police chief would oversee patrols and investigations, while the sheriff would oversee the jail, security for the courts, and serve papers.

"I prefer the elected office of sheriff being the constitutional office and being the chief law enforcement officer for the county," Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams said.

Sheriff Williams said he also believes law enforcement should be left alone, but if merged, he believes an elected position, not an appointed police chief, should be in charge.

"I think there's a lot of merit in having your leadership answer directly to the people as opposed to being an appointment," Sheriff Williams said.

Chief Hill told the committee the more politics involved, the more favoritism there is creeping into law enforcement.

The committee will now consider the recommendations they've heard before making their final recommendation.

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