With the new year came a number of personnel changes for the Fort Wayne Police Department. It was standing room only at the swearing-in ceremony for new Police Chief Garry Hamilton. He’s the first African American to hold the position, and will be taking the place of long time Chief Rusty York.
At the ceremony York took an oath of his own to become Fort Wayne’s Director of Public Safety – a position that hasn’t been filled in years.
Other promotions include a new Assistant Police Chief and Deputy Chiefs of the Southeast and Southwest Divisions, among others.
York says “I’m very very excited about our new administration. And these gentlemen and ladies have taken the reigns and really started already to make significant changes already in public safety in the City of Fort Wayne, and I’m just so proud of each and every one of them.”
York says in the coming year he’ll be focusing on increasing collaboration between public safety agencies and communication with neighborhoods.
Chief Hamilton is also tasked with creating a strategic plan to address homicides and other violent crime in the city.