Out in force
Batesville Police Department hits the streets this week
On Monday morning, a new fleet of black-and-white vehicles hit the streets of Batesville. The Batesville Police Department is now up and running, and Police Chief Alan Cockrill said at the department’s ribbon cutting May 27 that the officers are going to be out in full force to protect, serve and get to know the residents of their city.
“You’re going to see guys on the streets,” he said. “Don’t be surprised if you’re out raking your yard and one of these guys walks up to you and says, ‘Hey, how ya doing? Can we do anything for you?’ We’re going to be a community-based policing agency. We’re going to do our job, but we’re also going to be here to help.”
On Dec. 17, 2014, the Batesville City Council voted to withdraw from the interlocal agreement with the Independence County Sheriff ’s Department and to form a city police department. Cockrill was hired Jan. 12, and he immediately jumped into forming the department from the ground up.
“This has been discussed for probably 20 years,” Batesville Mayor Rick Elumbaugh said. “In my tenure as mayor, it’s been a topic that we’ve talked
about for eight years. We feel like this is something very important to our community. We want an economically vibrant community, and we want to have a safe community.”
Until Monday, the city of Batesville received law enforcement support from the Independence County Sheriff ’s Department. The city, which has not had its own police force since 1981, has
been paying the sheriff ’s department $1.2 million annually to provide law enforcement.
“We have had good service from the county, and we appreciate that relationship,” Elumbaugh said. “We will continue to have a relationship with Sheriff [Steve] Jeffery, and we will move forward in a positive direction.”
The Batesville Police Department has several vehicles — which the officers themselves helped paint and refurbish — as well as bicycles to help them get around and
meet residents on a daily basis. The duties of the officers will go beyond writing tickets and arresting offenders, and Cockrill said the officers will work to make a positive impression on the city.
“We’re going back to the unlock kits,” he said. “If you get the car locked and can’t find an extra set of keys, call us. We’ll come unlock it.”
In addition to being community focused, the police force will be technologically advanced, Cockrill said.
“The mayor just purchased body cameras,” he
said. “They’re kind of unique. They have a mount in the car, but they can also just pop out and clip on so that when these guys get on the bikes or get on foot, they are still covered with cameras. In today’s society, the more evidence we have … is a great benefit for the city.”
The reborn Batesville Police Department is staffed with 23 officers and one secretary and became fully operational at 6 a.m. Monday.