The Elkhart Police Department is 94 percent white in a town that was 66 percent white in the last census.
Demographic information obtained through an access to information act request shows out of 137 officers in the department 116 are white men and 14 are white women.
There are six black men and one man listed as ‘middle eastern.’ There are no women of color in the department. There are no hispanic or latinx (LAH-teen-ex) officers in the department. At the time of the 2010 census the city was listed at 22 percent hispanic/latino.
In age, the department is more diverse with 55 percent of officers under 40. 21 percent are under 30. With just 9 percent over 50. The median age of people in Elkhart at the 2010 census was 32.7.
The city of Elkhart referred an interview request to the police department. A scheduled interview with acting police chief Todd Thayer to discuss diversity efforts within the police department was cancelled by Thayer following Chief Ed Windbigler’s resignation.
Information from the department shows that diversity efforts focus on recruiting; mainly at local job fairs, high schools, churches and while on patrol.
