BY CHARLEE BEASOR
BROWNSBURG — Chief of Police Steve Carroll was demoted to captain in the Brownsburg Police Department earlier this week.
The Board of Police Commissioners voted unanimously to remove Carroll from the position following a special meeting on Wednesday.
Carroll has been with the Brownsburg Police Department for more than 30 years, starting his career in 1974 as a reserve officer.
A representative from his office said he could not comment on the action taken by the police commission.
Calls to Police Commission President Ray Kotarski were not returned as of press time and commissioner Stan Comer said he had no comment on the situation.
However, Kotarski spoke with WXIN Fox 59 and said, “I have had discussions personally with Steve relating to transition and change in this position. At this point, we are here tonight to allow the commission members to discuss their desires with regard to transition in this position.”
Former police commissioner Ken Roe said the actions taken by the commission are political in nature. Roe served on the commission from 2007 through the end of ‘09.
“It is totally political, not performance-related,” Roe said.
The police commission has five members, all of which are appointed by the town council. Commission members are Tom Garrison, Comer, Kotarski, Daniel Frisby, and town council representative Dwayne Sawyer.
Because the town council appoints police commissioners, Roe said they can appoint commissioners who will “adhere to their will.”
“I personally believe what they did to Steve was poor leadership,” he said. “It also reflects on the population of the town of Brownsburg because they appointed those leaders. I am disgusted with the situation.”
This is not the first time Carroll’s position as chief was in question. In Brownsburg, chiefs of police are appointed each year.
According to an article in the Hendricks County Flyer published in January of 2008, town council members voted on whether to keep Carroll as chief. However, according to Indiana Code, they discovered that it wasn’t their decision to make and they had to adhere to whatever decision the police commission made, which was to keep Carroll on as chief. Even though they did not need to vote to approve the commission’s decision, they voted anyway and at that time, members Gary Hood, Bill Guarnery, and Bill Sibbing voted to keep Carroll on as chief, Matt Bowles voted against it, and then-member Ronna Jessen abstained.
For that reason and because of recent police commission appointments, Roe said he wasn’t surprised to see Carroll’s demotion.
“There was an attempt to remove Steve in the 2007-08 time frame by then-council persons Matt Bowles and Ronna Jessen,” he said. “I can’t believe (the demotion) was a big surprise, based on the realignment of the police commission, in my opinion.”
Bob Waggoner, a former police commission member and former town council member, said the decision to have Carroll step down was because of personal reasons.
“All through the year, they did nothing but brag about all the achievements (Carroll) had made, and led him to believe he was good for another year,” he said. “It’s an underhanded situation ... it’s an unjust situation, to say the least.
“(Carroll’s) done a real bang up job as far as doing things that saves the town money and made the police force better and crime’s down, and on and on. What they’ve done is not right.”
Carroll has served as police chief since Dave Galloway resigned to run for Hendricks County Sheriff in 2006.
Carroll’s demotion to captain was effective immediately. Major Mike Dove has been named interim chief, according to a press release from the department. It also said the commission will be conducting an internal hiring process and hopes to have an appointment made by the end of February.
charlee.beasor@flyergroup.com
