GARY — Anthony Titus has worn a Gary Police Department patch for the past 31 years. Now he has a police chief's badge.
The Gary native was sworn in Friday as the city's top cop. He selected James Bond, former commander of Supportive Services, as his deputy chief of police.
"To the men and women of the Gary Police Department, 31 years I've worn the exact same patch you wear," Titus said before the swearing-in ceremony. "If there was blood to be spilled, we spilled it together, if there were tears to be cried, we cried them together. Whatever your struggle was, it was intimately intermingled with mine.
"This is our chance to stand as those who swore to serve and protect and show our community the type of leaders we can be. This is absolutely a new day for us."
Titus's appointment comes after a nine-month nationwide search, a 1½-year partnership with the Indiana State Police, and a wholistic look at how the Gary Police Department functions.
The city has struggled with turnover in the chief's job. Brian Evans served as interim chief for more than two years when Richard Ligon resigned after a six-month tenure. Ligon was Gary's 11th chief since 2006.
Mayor Jerome Prince said he and Deputy Mayor Trent McCain realized that the city needed to address weaknesses within the structure of the department before appointing a new chief. They called Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter and in April 2021 announced that the agencies would be partnering.
Jerry Williams, ISP's assistant chief of staff for logistics, began working out of the Gary Police Department, reviewing standard operating procedures, internal organizational structure, investigating procedures, training, evidentiary inventory and fiscal accountability.
In January 2023, the city ended the search for a chief and announced that Williams would take over as interim chief until July. He was tasked with assessing Gary police officers to determine who his successor should be.
Williams quickly promoted Titus from lieutenant of training to commander of patrol and then to deputy chief.
"I was looking for somebody who didn't wear a watch. What I mean by that is, I wanted somebody who was committed to the process, no matter how long it took," Williams explained, adding that Titus "is that individual who will roll up his sleeves and get to work no matter who is watching."
Williams said Titus was one of the three finalists identified by the original police chief search committee. When the city launched the search last spring, it received 74 applicants.
Titus, a graduate of Roosevelt High School, joined the department in 1992. He has a bachelor's degree in public safety management and a master's in public administration. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
As a longtime member of the force, Titus said he's already seen how partnering with ISP has changed the department.
One of the most visible outcomes of the partnership came last summer when a stock of 17 ordinances went to the Gary Common Council for consideration. The ordinances update the hiring, firing, promotion and disciplinary processes within the department, as well as the duties of the police chief. After ample discussion, a few contentious meetings and some compromises, the ordinances passed, although two were combined.
Addressing the council, Williams said: "You guys challenged us, you questioned us and you made us get better throughout this process."
Many of the ordinances hoped to make the department more efficient. New officers began to be hired in March. The hiring process, which usually has lasted nine months to two years, will likely be complete around mid-July, Williams said.
Indiana State Police also helped Gary PD pursue grant funding. Over the next few weeks, the department will receive $1.5 million in new technology, including body cameras, license plate readers and laptops.
Although the formal partnership between ISP and Gary PD has ended, Carter said state police will always be a resource for the city. Two troopers will remain on the new homicide task force, which is run by the Lake County prosecutor’s office. The nine-member Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force includes officers from Gary PD, ISP and Indiana Excise Police.
Prince thanked the Lake County prosecutor's office and Gov. Eric Holcomb for supporting the "historic" partnership. He also said it will be "important to establish continuity" as the city prepares for a change in leadership.
Prince was unseated by state Sen. Eddie Melton in the May primary. Melton will compete against Republican Andrew Delano at the Nov. 7 general election. However, Gary has historically been a Democratic stronghold.
Prince said he and Melton have been in talks regarding the leadership transition and the future of the Gary PD.
Titus was joined by a team of supporters, including his parents and his 11-year-old nephew, who had the honor of pinning the chief's badge to Titus's uniform.
"To the men and women of the city of Gary, listen, I know this isn't something that's said often, but we absolutely love you," Titus said. "There is no us against them, there's only us."
Titus's command staff includes Ed Gonzalez as commander of investigations, Sam Abegg as commander of special operations, Sam Roberts as commander of supportive services, and Mark Davis as commander of uniformed services.
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