Mayor Mueller announces new SBPD Chief will come from current command staff

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- South Bend mayor James Mueller announced Tuesday that his selection for the new Chief of the South Bend Police Department will come from the current command staff.

Meuller has not made a decision at this time.

This comes after Chief Scott Ruszkowski, who has served SBPD since 1988 and been Chief of Police since 2015, was elected as the St. Joseph County Sheriff.

The mayor stated the selection process in now open to current SBPD Division Chiefs and Captains.

Mueller is expected to make a final selection before the end of the year when Ruszkowski's time with SBPD comes to an end.

“I am grateful to Chief Ruszkowski for nearly four decades of service to the people of South Bend, and for building a great bench of future leaders,” said Mayor Mueller. “Public safety is the foundation upon which everything else builds. For a safer South Bend, our next chief must earn the full trust and confidence of our officers and every neighborhood we serve. This selection will be about who is best able to lead SBPD forward in our chapter,” said Mueller.