Two Lawrence Police Department captains have been promoted to deputy chief positions.
According to an announcement from the LPD, the promotions are part of new LPD Chief Curtis Bigsbee’s work to restructure department leadership.
“Among my first tasks as chief was to evaluate and restructure our departments leadership, working to identify who I would ask to serve as our deputy chiefs,” Bigsbee said. “It is my honor to announce that I have selected Captain Erika Schneider and Captain Travis Cline to serve as our new deputy chiefs.”
Schneider will oversee the Operations (Patrol) Division, while Cline will oversee Investigations and Administration Divisions, in addition to other duties for both.
Schneider was born and raised in Lawrence and graduated from Lawrence Central High School. She is a fourth-generation law enforcement officer, following in the footsteps of her great-grandfather, grandfather, father and mother. Schneider began her career with the City of Lawrence in 1998 as a telecommunicator before joining the Lawrence Police Department as an officer in 1999, graduating from the 139th Session of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
Schneider has served as a patrol officer, field training officer, instructor, sergeant, lieutenant, and shift commander, along with serving in the Investigations Division as a general detective, narcotics detective, sergeant, and lieutenant. She also served as administrative assistant to the chief of police, training director, captain of the Administration Division, and most recently commander of LPD’s Professional Standards Division.
Schneider holds the distinction of being the first third-generation graduate of the FBI National Academy, graduating from the 231st class. She is also the handler of LPD’s first psychiatric service canine, Hoss, who assists Schneider as a member of the State of Indiana Fraternal Order of Police Critical Incident Memorial Team and the Lawrence Police Department Honor Guard.
Cline grew up on the east side of Indianapolis/Lawrence area, graduating from Scecina High School. He started his career as a reserve officer for the City of Lawrence in 1998, while also serving as an investigator with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
Cline joined LPD full-time in 2000, graduating from the 145th Session of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. He worked as a patrol officer, detective, shift supervisor and detective sergeant, with over 20 years of investigations experience. He has also served as a detection K-9 handler, member of the LPD Special Weapons and Tactics team, and was assigned to the Indianapolis Metro Drug Task Force for 12 years, where he was deputized as a federal agent while investigating and dismantling high-level drug dealing organizations and importers, in addition to street-level drug dealers. Several cases DC Cline investigated resulted in both federal and state felony convictions.
In 2021, he was appointed as captain, commanding LPD’s Investigations Division.
