McCORDSVILLE — The board governing the McCordsville Police Department wants a new police chief.
The McCordsville Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners voted unanimously on Monday to recommend that the town council offer Chief Harold Rodgers a severance package of three months’ salary plus the cost of benefits in exchange for his resignation. If that can’t be worked out, it recommends the chief be dismissed.
The commissioners also voted unanimously to continue Rodgers’ unpaid administrative leave until further notice. They first voted to place Rodgers on unpaid administrative leave last month, to commence at the end of the leave he started in January under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
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McCordsville Police Maj. Paul Casey, the department’s assistant chief who has been serving as interim chief, told the Daily Reporter after last week’s town council meeting that he wants to take on the leadership role permanently. He said he’s been with the department for 26 years and that becoming chief would be a natural progression.
Casey also said he was surprised and appreciative to hear officers Jessica Barnes, Kyle Smith, Dan Trejo and Aaron Watts express their support for him as chief at the council meeting.
Smith echoed that support at the police commissioners meeting on Monday.
“I think your chief’s sitting in this room,” Smith told the commissioners.
Morale has risen “exponentially” since Casey has been in charge, Smith continued, adding officers feel like their experience and opinions matter under the interim chief’s leadership.
Casey has been having officers research, put together quotes and give presentations for new equipment like rifles and vests with storage pouches to take the load off utility belts.
Casey thanked the officers for their support at the meeting but said he’s not the only one responsible for the morale boost.
“This turnaround hasn’t happened because of one person,” he said. “The turnaround has happened because everybody bought in. Everybody’s helping out, offering to help, doing things on their own without having to be asked. I think it’s important to understand that you can’t have one person being in charge and making a change, it has to be a group of people.”
McCordsville Police Lt. Audrey Sleeth added her support for Casey at the meeting. Sleeth, whose shifts end at 6 a.m., said it’s not uncommon for Casey to start his day as she’s heading home.
“I understand you need to do a process, but I think you’re not going to find anyone more qualified and more dedicated than him sitting right there,” she told the board, referring to Casey.
Mark Walker, president of the police commissioners, said the board will need to discuss desired background requirements for the chief position and how to go about advertising the opening.
The police commissioners also voted unanimously to recommend to the town council that Casey receive a pay increase totaling the difference between chief pay and his assistant chief pay retroactive to the first business day of 2019.
“I think the job you’ve done has been excellent,” Chuck Meggenhofen, a member of the police commissioners, told Casey. “The officers’ attitudes have tremendously changed, and you’re doing two jobs.”
Rodgers was hired in 1990 as McCordsville’s first town marshal and is the only police chief the town has known. He has not been back to work since an incident on Jan. 3 in which he threatened suicide.
