Chief Patton joined the
Newburgh Police Department in 1972 and in 1979 he was promoted to Chief of
Police and held that rank until his death on November 14, 2004.
Chief Patton was a Vietnam
veteran and served in both the Marine Corps. and Army. After his military
service, he moved to the Evansville area and started working as a security
officer for the Evansville Regional Airport. During this time, he also worked
part-time for the Newburgh Police Department as a Sergeant.
One of Chief’s
achievements during his years with the department was the Drug Awareness
Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. Chief Patton introduced the program
into the Newburgh elementary schools in the early 1980’s. This was one of Chief
Patton’s proudest accomplishments. He always wanted to connect with the youth
to prevent them from bad choices later in life.
Chief Patton was also a
Kentucky Colonel and was also a former police officer of the year. At the time
of his death, he was the longest serving Chief of Police in Indiana.
There isn’t a day that
goes by that the department isn’t reminded of Chief Patton’s legacy.
