(La Porte, IN) - During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody reaffirmed the new police chief opposed by officers is here to stay.

However, The La Porte Fraternal Order of Police could still legally challenge the mayor’s decision to appoint Dick Buell as police chief on February 5th, because he came from outside the department.

 

The FOP alleges that the mayor violated local code, which requires a police chief to be selected from within the department.

 

However, La Porte City Attorney Nick Otis told the standing-room-only crowd that a change in state law in 1996, upheld by the Indiana Attorney General’s Office in 2005, allows mayors to choose police chiefs from outside the department. Thereby Otis explained, the local ordinance was no longer valid.

 

“The legislature has clearly spoken,” he said.

 

However, La Porte Police Officer Robert Metcalf, who was speaking at the meeting on behalf of the FOP, said that there are other attorneys who agree with their position on the matter.

 

“As of right now with this being a fluid situation we don’t know legally where we’re going to be at 24, 48, a week, two weeks from now,” he said.

 

Buell, 70, came out of retirement to accept the offer from Dermody, whom praised his 30 years of law enforcement experience as “second to none.” The La Porte Mayor also said that Buell's “old school” approach and ability to be a “strong leader” are needed the most to develop future leaders out of officers so that they’re capable of later running what’s now a young department.

 

Buell spent five years with the La Porte Police Department before moving on to the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, where he served in various capacities such as Chief of Detectives and Jail Commander. He was the Director of La Porte County Community Corrections when he retired in 2019.

 

Before the city council meeting, the FOP, in a letter, announced officers would only recognize newly appointed Assistant Police Chief Matthew Drangmeister, who was chosen from the ranks. The Order has also said that officers would not recognize Buell, calling upon the mayor to select another chief.

 

In response, Dermody said officers failing to listen to Buell would be dealt with on grounds of insubordination, and that some of the complaints are from officers not liking the more disciplined approach Buell has brought to the department.

 

“Because Dick Buell says you’re going to shine your shoes, you’re going to square your uniform, you’re going to get out of your car and meet with residents and meet with business owners. This is the new standard that we owe the entire department,” he said.