East Chicago Police Chief Mark Becker has 40 years in law enforcement under his belt, and he’s not sure that his career in the field is completely over.
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As of March 4, though, it’ll be done in East Chicago. Becker announced his resignation Tuesday morning.
Becker said Tuesday he’s leaving for all good reasons. With what he described as a “unique career” with both turns in the federal and local sides of police work, he said his mission to right the ship at East Chicago is well on its way to fruition.
“It’s been great. When the mayor brought me on, we vowed we would stop the corruption in the department,” he said. “We’re not perfect by any means, but with staying the course and the right succession of chiefs, the city will be in good shape.”
Becker came to East Chicago in February 2012 after four years as chief of police in Portage. Before that, he spent 32 years with the FBI.
Becker credited the city’s Merit Commission with helping him remove nepotism and politics from the department’s hiring practices. He also credits his officers with embracing education, and Indiana University Northwest professor Joseph Ferrandino, for providing an “unbiased set of eyes” to their process.
“I’m running a report right now: In 2011, when I came on, the total spent on education was $3,070, and our officers logged 29.74 hours of further (education), or roughly five hours over the minimum,” he said. “At the end of 2015, we spent $40,113, and we went from 29.74 hours to 97.55 hours of education.
“That does a lot to professionalize the department.”
Becker said the crowning glory of his tenure, however, is community outreach. It was paramount for him to regain the community’s trust, and they went out of their way to invite people to become part of the process. Whether by bike or walking the streets, the department is now better than it’s been, he said.
And now, with 28 hires to the department over the last four years, Becker said he can’t wait to see the new energies take over.
“We’ve only begun to excel. By time it’s over, I expect we’ll be one of the best departments in the state,” he said.
East Chicago Deputy Chief Frank Maldonado, while not entirely surprised by Becker’s resignation, said he’s confident the department will do Becker proud after he’s gone.
“He’ll be missed, that’s for sure,” Maldonado said. “He put this this department at a entirely different level both statewide and nationally, and he put in place a lot initiatives that before he hired in, we just talked about.”
Maldonado said Becker’s replacement hasn’t been chosen yet by Mayor Anthony Copeland, and he hasn’t been told when that will be.
In a press release, Copeland thanked Becker “for showing me how community policing is the fulcrum that balances the well-being of our city, and trust is the laminate between our citizens and our officers.”
Becker said for now, he’ll continue with his consulting business and teaching leadership around the country.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.