Tanya Terry becomes first woman to lead IMPD

INDIANAPOLIS — Tanya Terry is stepping into a place no woman has held before. She is becoming the next chief of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.

Mayor Joe Hogsett announced her appointment as Chris Bailey prepares to leave the job and move into a senior role in the mayor’s office.

Terry’s path to the top started back in 1999 when she joined the Indianapolis Police Department and worked patrol in the north district. Over time, she helped build IMPD’s Violent Crimes Unit, led the southwest district, and later became the department’s chief of operations. In that role, she oversaw the shift to 10 hour workdays and worked on recruiting more women into the force.

She grew up on the east side of Indianapolis, graduated from Warren Central High School, and studied psychology and sociology at IUPUI before joining the department.

Hogsett praised her long record of work in the city, saying she has spent “countless hours” focused on public safety. He credited her leadership with helping drive crime numbers down in recent years. “With Chief Terry leading our IMPD officers, I am confident Indianapolis will continue making progress in shaping safer neighborhoods,” he said.

Rick Snyder, who leads the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police, also praised the appointment and called Terry “highly respected across the board.” He pointed to her experience in patrol, investigations, and leadership, and said she is well known for supporting officer wellness and safety. He noted the historic nature of her appointment but added that Terry would rather be known simply as “a good cop.”

Tanya Terry becomes first woman to lead IMPD was originally published on wibc.com