The Michigan City Police Department welcomed seven new officers to its force this spring.
The addition of these new officers not only strengthens the already resilient force but continues to allow the Michigan City police force to proactively plan for the future.
“The seven new officers just graduated,” said Chief Marty Corley. “Six graduated from the Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and one from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.”
The seven officers are Officer Christopher Bartak, Officer Thomas Dolph, Officer Gary Francisco, Officer CJ Fusko, Officer Jackson Hakes, Officer Alexander Henry, and Officer Ryan Koontz.
The addition of the seven new officers expands the Michigan City Police Department in substantial ways.
“These seven officers are a third of the 23 officers that the Michigan City Police Department has hired in 2023,” said Corley.
New officers joining the force will support several already established sections of the department.
“The graduation of these officers will put them in a position to add to the number of officers assigned to the patrol division, investigation division, and other specialty units of the Michigan City Police Department,” said Corley.
For Dolph, training at a law enforcement academy provided the groundwork needed to start his career off right.
“My training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy focused on the fundamentals of policing,” said Dolph. “Our training included various topics such as law, psychology, de-escalation, non-lethal weapons, and critical thinking.”
After graduating from the academy, choosing which police force to join can be challenging for some. For Bartak, however, there were several reasons to join the Michigan City Police Department.
“The standout reason for joining this police force was the incredible number of opportunities that exist here at the Michigan City Police Department,” said Bartak.
In fact, the Michigan City Police Department has several unique elements that are not common in every town police department.
“Some police agencies lack resources, but many exciting things are happening here in Michigan City,” said Bartak. “The department has its own SWAT and SCUBA teams, and it recently doubled the number of K-9 units.”
Striving for continuous improvement, the new officers joining the Michigan City Police Department will receive further instruction.
“All officers will continue some additional training here at the Michigan City department before being assigned to a permanent shift in the Uniformed Patrol Division,” said Corley.
Corley also noted that these officers are joining the force at the perfect time of year.
“The graduation of these officers comes at the appropriate time to put additional personnel on the streets to help with the uptick of calls for service that occur during the summer months,” said Corley.
Continuously planning for the future and ensuring growth in the police force is a source of pride for Corley.
“We look forward to these officers and all recent additions to the Michigan City Police Department family being successful in building relationships with the community as they serve and protect the citizens of Michigan City,” said Corley. To learn more about the Michigan City Police Department, please visit its website.
