By Anna Skinner

On Sept. 29, the City of Fishers saw its first new police chief since George Kehl, the only chief the city has ever had. Kehl recently retired.

Previous Assistant Chief of Police Mitch Thompson was appointed the new chief of police before elected officials, city staff and members of the community. Police from neighboring communities, Indiana State Police and others attended the ceremony.

Kehl was presented with an American flag and an honor guard ceremony. Mayor Scott Fadness also informed the community that the new police headquarters to be built will be named after Kehl.

“I can think of no better tribute to the foundation that Chief Kehl has provided to this department than to name the new police headquarters after the chief, so that from this point forward the police officers that call that home will understand clearly what the foundation is that Chief Kehl built,” Fadness said.

Riley and Chase Thompson pinned the collar brass on Thompson, their father, during his ceremony. Kehl assisted Thompson with the retirement of his assistant chief’s badge and replaced it with a new chief badge.

“(Thompson) is going to shepherd this department in the difficult times ahead in our community and our nation,” Fadness said. “Mitch Thompson is a man of integrity. I’ve known Mitch now for over a decade, and he is committed to this community. Chief Thompson is committed to the intellectual integrity of law enforcement. He wants to understand the data and he wants to understand the facts to better serve our community. He will be an open communicator, an open collaborator, and I think our future is very bright not only for our community but for the law enforcement folks that work for the City of Fishers. Mitch will always be there for them.”

A celebration was held after the ceremony.

“I am humbled to accept this promotion and thank Chief Kehl for his many years of leadership,” Thompson stated in a press release provided at the event. “The Fishers Police Department is one of the finest agencies in the state of Indiana, and I look forward to furthering the culture of excellence and innovation for years to come.”

Thompson holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Phoenix. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy among other accomplishments. He has been a Fishers resident since 1991.