By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
A veteran Decatur police officer who is stepping down in July “will leave a great void” in the department.
Chief Kevin Gerber announced at Wednesday night’s city board of works meeting that Sgt. Mark Cook’s last day with the department will be July 5.
Cook has accepted a position in the Northeast Indiana Liaison Office for grant writers through the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.
When he exits the department, he will have 31 years, six months and four days with the city PD, Gerber said.
“This one is bitter sweet for me,” Gerber told the board in breaking the news. “Mark has been a great officer and he will leave a great void in our department.
“We’re excited for him, but it (his leaving) will be a sad day, too. The past year for me, he’s been someone I’ve leaned on,” added the chief who’s wrapping up his first year in the top job.
“He’s been doing this a long time, he’s been a great addition to our department,” Mayor Dan Rickord added. “Mark has been an outstanding officer who a lot of young guys look up to.”
“Yes, he’s always put Decatur first; he could have gone other places (police departments) but he chose to stay,” board member Tyler Fullenkamp said.
Cook spent three years as a reserve, then joined the department full-time in January of 1993. In April of 2011, he was promoted to sergeant.
He has held many and varied positions within the department, such as training officer, an analyst, and has written numerous grant applications. It is the latter which opened the door to the new job, since he was approached about the post.
“Working with my colleagues every day has become one of the great experiences of my life,” Cook said in his resignation letter. “The department has provided me with an excellent platform to grow both professionally and personally, and I will forever cherish the memories I have made here.”
Cook also had some parting praise for his chief.
He said he wanted to thank the chief “for your recent direction and friendship during my tenure. I have found you to be an honest and dedicated public servant. A person who is committed to his job who is thoughtful, benevolent and conscious of the well being of others.”
TWO OPENINGS: Cook’s departure will leave the department two officers short of its full complement of 20.
At the previous board meeting, Gerber said seven applicants for an opening had been whittled down to one person, and he was given permission to take the prospective officer to Indianapolis for the PERF (Public Employees Retirement Fund) examination.
With the Cook announcement, however, Gerber asked permission to take a second candidate for the PERF exam and was given the okay.
The applicants will be revealed if they pass the PERF mental and physical exams.