Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Tuesday, February 10, 2009
(BEDFORD) - The Bedford Police Department officially has a new second banana.
Joe DeWees, a career patrolman, was selected by Bedford Police Chief Dennis Parsley as his new Assistant Chief to replace Dan Kirk, who moves to the Bedford Planning Department, and DeWees approved by the Bedford Board of Works at their meeting last night.
DeWees confessed to WBIW News that this is his first desk job, and that, so far, he still thinks the seat of his patrol cruiser is more comfortable than the large, blue, high-backed chair he now occupies in his office.
A native of Nashville, Indiana, DeWees is a 1986 graduate of Indiana University, majoring in telecommunications and criminal justice.
DeWees then went on to work for radio station WWWY in Columbus before taking his first uniformed job at the Monroe County Probation Office.
In 1988, he made the move to the Bedford Police Department, and has been here ever since, and will tick off his 21st year of service to the Stone City next month.
DeWees tells WBIW News the biggest adjustment he is going to have to make in his new position, is that it will be hard to "listen to stuff going on over the [police] radio and wanting to be a part of it."
DeWees has also said he has been talking with his predecessors, Dan Kirk and Mike Robbins, who served under former Chief David Jarrard, about advice on how to better do his job. He says, however, that he is pleased with how Kirk performed in the position, and doesn't expect many changes to result from his taking the job.
Also promoted at the Board of Works meeting were Danny Irwin to Major, who will now be the commander of the afternoon shift. Raquel Turner was promoted to Captain and will be second-in-command of the night shift, and Brian Cartwright was bumped up to Sergeant and will be third-in-command of the night shift.
Chief Parsley says all promotions, including DeWees's, are on a 6-month probationary basis for all individuals involved to evaluate the jobs and performance, and Parsley will return to the Board of Works in August for a final approval.
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