By James Feichtner
Over the past three decades, Fishers has grown from a small town with several thousand people to one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Throughout those years the city has seen its fair share of influential figures, each contributing to its success that’s apparent today. While many of these figures have come and gone, one man has consistently remained with Fishers throughout these past decades of progression.
Fishers Police Department Chief George Kehl has been serving his community for nearly forty consecutive years. Growing up in Fishers, Kehl has seen the full transformation of the town he grew up in. But on Aug. 11, Chief Kehl announced his retirement with FPD would be in September of next year, drawing a close to his service.
Kehl, one of the longest serving active police chiefs in Indiana and Fishers longest serving employee, had been contemplating his retirement for a few months until he felt it was the right time to make the announcement.
“Probably about the last eight months I’ve just been thinking about it,” Kehl said. You know when it’s the right time, without a question.”
Kehl originally joined the Fishers Police Dept. in 1975. By 1978, he became chief of police and has since remained in the position. The fact that he grew up in Fishers makes his commitment to the city that much stronger.
“George is one of those guys that’s been around here so long that his institutional knowledge is so vast,” Fishers City Council president Pete Peterson said. “He knows where Fishers was. He knows how Fishers grew. He saw it grow. He reacted to that growth. He’s a tremendous asset for the community.”
Since he’s been in charge at FPD, Kehl has grown it into one of the top law enforcement agencies in the state. The police department has not only grown in size and professionalism, but has also received national accreditation under Kehl’s guidance.
“It was really fun, to be honest with you,” Kehl said. “The accreditation was a challenge. It took three years to get there.”
“I am so grateful for Chief Kehl’s leadership and his tireless service to our community,” said Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness. “Under his command, the police department has grown into a dynamic, nationally accredited agency that takes a proactive approach to policing.”
“He’s certainly been a leader in law enforcement in this community for many years,” Carmel Chief of Police Tim Green said. “He’s helped Fishers grow to where it is today both as a department and as a respected and accredited law enforcement agency. His leadership and his dedication to our profession; it’s just something I’m glad to have been a part of.”
Kehl has not only grown the police department to what it is today, but has managed to grow it alongside the city, a difficult task considering the amount of growth Fishers has seen.
“Many people who were in those kind of positions really weren’t capable of migrating those and growing their departments in a fashion that really fits with [Fishers] growth pattern,” Peterson said. “George is obviously one who’s done extremely well in that position and continues having a department that’s not only grown with the community but has maintained its absolute highest status among police forces around the state and really around the country.”
With one of the largest school districts in the state, Kehl has also has managed to maintain a positive relationship with the Hamilton Southeastern school district despite numerous changes in its staff.
“The relationship between the Fishers police and Hamilton Southeastern Schools has to be among the best in the country,” HSE school board president John DeLucia said. “That doesn’t just happen. There have been four school superintendents, numerous school board members, and one Chief Kehl the entire time I’ve lived in Fishers.”
Chief Kehl’s future successor FPD Assistant Chief Mitch Thompson said it was bittersweet for him and his team to hear Kehl was leaving, but that he picked a great time in his career to do it.
“What’s always important is that as a team we’ve recognized that we wanted Chief Kehl to go out on top, to go out at the right time,” Thompson said. “In so many career paths you see folks that let their career pass them by. Chief Kehl is going out at the top of his career path and that’s what you want to see.”
During his career, Kehl said his proudest memories came from two of his highest earned accolades.
“Probably going to the FBI national academy. That was a true honor to go to that,” Kehl said. “Being past president of the Indianapolis Association of the Chiefs of Police. A huge honor to lead the group of chiefs statewide and we had a tremendous amount of successes that year. Those things make me extremely proud to serve.”
Where there are proud moments there are also challenges. Kehl said the most challenging points in his career were budgets, hiring of new staff and homicide cases.
“You never expect that type of thing to happen in a community like this, nor do you want it to happen,” Kehl said. “Budgets are always a challenge. The hiring processes are always a challenge making sure you get the best quality people.”
As for what he would miss the most about his role as chief, Kehl said it would most likely be interacting with the people of Fishers.
“The things I’m going to miss are the people,” he said. “You have to understand policing today in our society is extremely difficult. It’s very critical and it’s not going to go back. I’m not going to miss that. I’m going to miss the people.”
Since he was a child, Kehl has been a part of the Fishers community. Growing up in the once small town, Kehl has seen the town evolve not only from the perspective of a law enforcement officer, but as a resident. Even though the chief is set to retire, his presence and influence in Fishers will still remain.
“I can assure you I’m not going to sit around and be going to the beach,” Kehl said. “I need to stay active. I will be doing something, but all that will be released later because my focus is on the agency at this time.”
Chief Kehl’s Accolades
- Served as the Fishers Chief of Police since 1978
- Attended and graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigations National Academy – 1991
- Participated in the LEEDS Academy elite school for law enforcement – 2001
- Served as President of Indiana Chiefs of Police – 2006
- Received the Sagamore of the Wabash award from Governor Mitch Daniels – 2007
- Implemented a successful criminal intelligence unit – 2012
