When the Griffith Police Department’s new chief Albert Tharp takes the reins, he hopes to give as much back to the community as it’s given him the last 15 years.
Tharp, a Detective Sergent with Griffith, ascended to the chief’s spot January 10. He replaces Greg Mance, who’s retiring after 26 years with the department and 12 as chief.
Like most people in their late teens, Tharp wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life when he started at Indiana University Northwest in 2001. He decided to join the school’s cadet officer program, which exposed him to law enforcement, he said.
“It gave me direction,” Tharp said. “This program gave me the opportunity to graduate from the police academy and serve as a police officer while completing my college degree.”
He graduated from IU’s Police Academy in Bloomington in 2005 and stayed on with the IUN Police Department as a patrolman until 2009, when he was hired at Griffith, he said. Since then, he’s served Griffith as a Patrolman, Corporal, Detective, and Detective Sergeant as well as participated in the Northwest Indiana Major Crimes Task Force and the District 1 Law Enforcement Strike Team.
He’s also been an emergency vehicle obstacle course instructor, an evidence technician, an evidence/property room manager, Public Information Officer, and a member of the Lake County Fatal Overdose Review Team, he said.
Wanting to be chief, however, stemmed from wanting to do more for the community that “helped shape the person” he is.
“I believe Griffith is one of the finest communities in Northwest Indiana, and I’m excited about leading and supporting the officers of this department to make Griffith the safest community possible,” he said.
That will include keeping programs Mance started during his tenure, such as regular residency checks for registered sex offenders and people on probation, which further reinforces community safety and accountability, he said. As far as his own vision, however, that will come in due time.
“When it comes to implementing changes, I believe in a slow and methodical approach, building upon the strong foundation left by Chief Mance,” he said. “During the last 12 years that Chief Mance has served, he’s implemented important changes and innovations to the department, and while I recognize that I’m a different person and my leadership style may vary from his, I have great respect for his accomplishments.
“Over the coming days and weeks, I plan to engage in meaningful conversations with the members of the department to understand their perspectives and discuss how best to provide the support they need before committing to any changes.”
For his part, Mance said he hasn’t wiped the smile off his face in weeks.
“In 26 years, I have very few regrets,” Mance said. “I made a lot of friendships, a lot of great memories and had a lot of successes, so this is the right time for me to go.”
He includes among his successes the work the department’s done with community building, which he said is the key to crime reduction. He’s also pleased to have seen the NWI Regional SWAT growth, and he enjoyed working with legislators.
All eight of the internal candidates that applied for the position were talented, Mance said, so the Town Council couldn’t go wrong. He supports the choice of Tharp.
“I think he knows what the job entails,” he said.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
