By Sarah Gardner
IU Superintendent of Public Safety Jerry Minger announced his retirement in an IU Police Department press release. After working at IU for 44 years, Minger will retire Feb. 29, at the age of 66.
During his career, he served as a patrol officer, a technical services lieutenant and administrative captain.
In 2010, Minger became the first director for the consolidated IUPD, which combined police departments from all IU campuses. He was also a 2002 graduate of the FBI National Academy.
“Expectations were very high when Jerry was appointed to leadership of IUPD,” said John Applegate, executive vice president for university academic affairs, in the release. “The campus divisions of IUPD had not been under unified command for several decades, so the superintendent position was a new one.”
Minger grew up in the small town of Milan, Indiana, and moved to Bloomington to attend IU. After that, he said, he never left.
“There are certainly some heavier memories from the job,” Minger said. “But mostly I’ll remember the friendships I made here in Bloomington. I’ve never regretted making this town my home.”
Many of Minger’s family members share his passion for police work. Minger said his father and uncle’s careers as police officers were part of what inspired him to enter the same line of work.
His sister, Kay Minger, also went into law enforcement as an officer for the Bloomington Police Department.
Minger helped IUPD adapt to technological updates over the years, according to the press release. He was the first to network a computer system for IUPD But he said he still remembers a time when he carried quarters in case he needed to make a phone call.
Watching the community he served change over the years made his job stand out from many other police departments, Minger said.
“The population changes every year and is so dynamic, which makes a university a really unique place to practice law enforcement,” Minger said. “When I was 22, I had authority over all these people who were older than me. But now, the population is still the same age and I’ve kept growing older.”
Minger’s wide breadth of law enforcement experience made him essential for making progress within the department, said Mark Bruhn, associate vice president for public safety and institutional assurance, in the release.
After his retirement, Minger said he hopes to spend more time with his wife and visiting his four children.
But he said he also plans to stay busy with other projects when he retires. He hopes to help his wife, an attorney, bring her office up to speed with new technology. He also plans to spend time playing with his band, the Justin-Case Band.
“I sometimes had to put music aside because of my work, but I’m hoping to return to that now,” Minger said. “I’ve already gotten calls from people I played with 20 years ago who want to start playing music together again.”
Minger’s successor is expected to be chosen this spring, according to the press release. In the meantime, IUPD Indianapolis Chief Bob True will serve as interim superintendent of public safety.
