There’s a new marshal in town

Dowden named town marshal

By Jennifer Dawson/Times Sentinel managing editor

The Zionsville Town Council voted 5-0 Monday, April 9, to appoint Rick Dowden of Zionsville as the new town marshal after nominating two, then only one candidate as first reported on www.timessentinel.com.

The town’s search for a new marshal began in February after then-marshal Jim Wampler resigned Jan. 24.

Dowden, who has been a Zionsville resident since 1972 and is a 1979 graduate of Zionsville Community High School, said he wants to unite the police department and rebuild trust between the department and the community.

Specifically, Dowden said some of his goals with the force are to start youth programs with officers such as a teen summer camp where teens can learn what officers do, and to hold community forums. He said he wants to improve service to the community.

“I’m looking forward to getting started,” Dowden said.

Dowden’s annual salary will be $64,500, with a renewable contract, at town council member David Carr’s request. The length of the contract has not yet been decided. Town manager Ed Mitro said he does not know when Dowden, a sheriff’s detective, will start since he still has to give notice to the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.

Boone county Sheriff Kan Campbell wished Dowden well.

“I’m happy for the folks of Zionsville...Rick is coming home to the community he grew up in,” Campbell said.

Dowden, a lieutenant for BCSD and Boone County Coroner, impressed town council member David Brown with his resume.

“He (Dowden) has accrued an unbelievable amount of law enforcement training,” Brown said.

Dowden has worked with the BCSD for 10 years and with the Zionsville Police Department as a reserve; Zionsville Fire Department as a part-time firefighter; and with the Indiana State Police as an instructor in crime scene investigation. He also completed training with the F.B.I.

“He (Dowden) has the sincere desire to want to turn the ZPD into the department we all want it to become again,” Brown said.

Brown nominated Dowden, but he wasn’t the only nomination. Member Dave Carr nominated Dennis Norris of Zionsville, citing Norris’ management abilities in the private sector and “intellectual acumen,” and then withdrew the nomination before the council could vote.

Member Art Harris informed the council that if Norris were to become marshal he would have to retrain for 15 weeks with the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Harris said he spoke on the phone earlier that day with Rusty Goodpasture, executive director of ILEA, who told Harris that Norris would have to retrain.

“This is a new piece of information we have heard for the first time tonight,” Carr said.

Carr said Goodpasture was not a “certain authority” until town council lawyer Andy Buroker confirmed that Goodpasture was correct.

“That’s news to me,” town manager Ed Mitro said. “That directly conflicts what our legal counsel told me as of Friday afternoon.”

Mitro said Buroker’s law firm, Krieg DeVault, had confirmed that Norris would only need 40 hours of “brush-up” courses.

“I’m not happy right now,” Mitro said.

Buroker said the firm confirmed that Norris could be legally hired without the 15 weeks of training and that Norris could have the authority to arrest, search and seize and carry a firearm, but did not specifically tell the town council Norris would eventually have to retrain.

“I apologize you got a different interpretation of the same answer,” Buroker said.

Carr then withdrew his nomination for Norris. Three other candidates also didn’t make the cut. After receiving 23 applications and conducting background checks and interviews, the town council narrowed the field down to five candidates, of whom only two (Dowden and Norris) were considered at the Monday night meeting.

Crane said interim ZPD Marshal Lee Hancock, Monroe County Chief Deputy Sheriff Scott Mellinger and Noblesville Police Sgt. Graig Collins were the other three candidates.

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