News release from the City of Fort Wayne:
Mayor Henry names Garry Hamilton as new Police Chief
Hamilton becomes 1st African-American to hold chief position(December 16, 2013) – Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry today announced that Garry Hamilton has been appointed as Police Chief for the City of Fort Wayne. Hamilton becomes the first African-American to hold the position.
Hamilton has been with the Fort Wayne Police Department since 1994. Most recently, he’s served as deputy chief of the southeast quadrant. In addition, Hamilton has held positions of deputy chief of the northeast quadrant, liaison officer to the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office, captain of the southeast quadrant, and sergeant in internal affairs.
“Today’s appointment demonstrates a strong commitment to public safety. Garry is an experienced, disciplined professional with the leadership skills and integrity that I was looking for in a police chief. He’s an excellent communicator and is respected by his peers and the community,” said Mayor Henry. “Garry will be a great police chief for our City. I’m looking forward to a positive future for the Fort Wayne Police Department.”
“I’m honored to have been asked by Mayor Henry to serve as police chief,” said Hamilton. “We have a lot of tremendous opportunities to build upon in the Fort Wayne Police Department. Our proactive efforts in policing and a commitment to keeping our City as safe as possible put us in great position to succeed. We want to be an accessible and approachable department that values neighborhoods and a great quality of life.”
Mayor Henry emphasized that priorities for Hamilton will include a strategic plan to address homicides and other crime activity; communication efforts with neighborhoods and businesses to address concerns of the public; utilization of technology; and a continued commitment to collaborate with the other law enforcement agencies that work with the Fort Wayne Police Department to reduce violence and solve crimes.
Hamilton has a bachelor’s degree from Manchester College. He will begin his duties as Police Chief on January 1. A swearing-in ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 2 in Room 035-Council Courtroom on the garden level in Citizens Square, 200 E. Berry St.
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