LETTERS: Feb. 16, 2008

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February 16, 2008 01:34 am

— McDonald: Time for Utica to move forward

The town of Utica has a new town council and new marshal in charge. It is a time for thinking of the future and engaging the public towards a shared vision of the future. The first and most obvious change in Utica is the town’s new Marshal.
Serving since early January as the interim marshal, Melvin Rumpel is no stranger to law enforcement. Having served twenty years as a Jeffersonville city police officer, he is no stranger to working a beat and working a beat is just what he means to do with his two officers and himself.
He is a refreshing change to the policing of Utica in years past. He is the face of community policing. Rumpel takes community policing seriously and sees himself as a servant leader by putting the needs of the community above ego and political ambition.
The town council has effectively downsized the force from ten reserve officers, two full time officers and one part time officer to Rumpel, his deputy and a part time officer. Gone is the K-9 unit and drug task force. In its place is an officer with experience but more than that a man who is genuinely interested in meeting and taking care of the people that he is sworn to serve and protect. To have a conversation with Melvin Rumple is to talk to a friend even though it might be the first conversation you ever had with the man. He has a sense of humor, can laugh at himself and is serious about policing the community as a beat cop would.
Mark two things about Rumpel that will make him successful in the small town of Utica: a genuine interest in human behavior and a kindness in his approach to the citizenry.
Utica Town President Hank Dorman described Rumpel as “a breath of fresh air to the community. He has a personality that is engaging. He gets out and meets the townspeople and gets to know the people that he serves.”
Marshal Rumpel says that his priorities are to protect the people of Utica from theft and crimes against person and property. He also wants to look out for the elderly and the children and emphasizes that his officers spend more time patrolling the streets in the evenings guarding the same.
Marshal Rumpel served from 1962 to 1982 on the Jeffersonville City Police Department rising to Captain. After those years he worked in construction and retired. He came out of retirement out of his desire to help and be of service to people. He sees himself as a problem solver on the community level and says “don’t grumble and stay, see Rumpel and be on your way.”
— Tim McDonald, Utica