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March 5, 2004

Purdue Police Department names new chief

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The assistant chief of the city of Valparaiso's Police Department will lead the Purdue Police Department starting March 15, university officials announced today (Friday, 3/5).

Gary K. Evans

Carol Shelby, Purdue's senior director of environmental health and public safety, said Gary K. Evans' education and training, as well as his communications skills, were among the criteria that set him apart from other candidates.

"Gary's bachelor's degree in business administration and graduate work in human behavior will serve him well in running the department, as will his extensive training and experience in law enforcement," Shelby said. "The fact that he is currently a graduate student will help him bring an important student perspective to the job. Gary's high energy level will make him a great addition to the university."

Evans said he looks forward to the challenge of joining a department that proactively works with students and the community.

"The Purdue Police Department is a progressive department with a great reputation throughout the state," Evans said. "There is an emphasis on community policing and service that is important in allowing officers to be more active and focus their attention on education and crime prevention."

Deputy Chief Steven R. Dietrich, a 20-year veteran of the department, has been serving as interim chief and will resume his earlier duties when Evans joins the department.

After four years as a law enforcement specialist in the Air Force, Evans joined the Valparaiso Police Department in 1988 as a patrol sergeant. After several promotions, he was named assistant chief in March of 2000.

Evans, a native of northwest Indiana, said that at Valparaiso he started both a canine and bicycle patrol unit for the department and implemented a citizens' police academy. He said the department emphasized customer service and education when working with citizens.

Since 1992, he has served as an Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board certified instructor, teaching courses on topics including domestic violence, cultural diversity and emergency vehicle operation.

Evans earned a bachelor's degree in 1998 from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion. He has earned graduate credit at both the University of Virginia and Valparaiso University, where he is currently pursing a master's degree in human behavior and society.

He graduated in 1988 from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield and also completed a 10-week course at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va., that focused on leadership in law enforcement. Evans also has attended special training sessions on a variety of topics including terrorism, cultural diversity, sex offender profiling, and interviewing and interrogation.

Linda Stump, who had served as Purdue's police chief since 1999, resigned in July to head the police department at the University of Florida. Purdue conducted a national search for her successor that generated more than 50 applicants.

Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu

Source: Carol Shelby, (765) 494-7504, cshelby@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


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