Terry Sips named SPD Chief, continuing family legacy

Veteran police officer Terry Sips was recently selected to serve as the next Chief of Police for the Spencer Police Department (SPD).

Sips, a 1986 graduate of Owen Valley High School and 20-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, assumes the new role following the retirement of former police chief Richard Foutch.

The announcement was made during the July 7 meeting of the Spencer Town Council.

"We had four very good candidates (for the position)," explained council member Evan McKalip, noting all four of the candidates were current officers with the Spencer Police Department. "It was honestly a difficult decision – great candidates all around – and I truly appreciate the work each of you do."

Sips began his career with the SPD in December of 2006, forty years after his dad, Gary Sips, began his long tenure with the department in 1966.

The elder Sips retired from the SPD in 1992 after serving the community for 26 years, including 18 years in the same role his son recently assumed, making the pair the first known father-son duo to lead the department as chief of police.

"It's truly an honor. I grew up around the department and had always wanted to be a police officer," Sips said. "Tony Stevens was my mentor, Mike Hendricks and Joe Pettijohn were my firearms instructors, and Jim Witmer from the Bloomington Police Department was my physical tactics instructor. I've had some great officers, including my dad, help me along the way."

A graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA), Sips has furthered his law enforcement career by serving as a physical tactics instructor, taser instructor and pepper spray instructor. In June of 2024, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, a position he held until his recent hiring as chief of police.

During his time at the ILEA, Sips was voted class president by his peers, gave the graduation speech and was selected as the Herman H. Freed Award recipient.

Established in 2004 and named in honor of Major Herman Freed, the first executive director of the law enforcement academy, the award is presented to a student who demonstrates the qualities of: Integrity, Loyalty, Ethics and Attitude. The basic class students determine the award winner by vote, though the top vote recipient must also meet the approval of the ILEA staff and must not have failed any academic or practical component of the basic course.

Sips will oversee a department of 10 full-time officers and seven reserve officers and has his sights set on increasing the SPD's use of advancements in information technology (IT) and communication systems, among other goals.

"The latest technological advancements will allow us to link with other departments and other agencies, both federal and state, to obtain a lot more information that will enable us to identify suspects, vehicles, stolen property and other things more quickly," Sips explained. "This doesn't necessarily replace other tried and true methods of police work, but it can help us be more efficient and aid in investigations. We want to keep up with current law enforcement trends."

While the overall crime rate in and around Spencer is nowhere near that of larger metropolitan areas, the SPD deals with almost daily instances of illegal drug offenses, domestic violence and property crimes such as theft.

"Unfortunately, domestic reports and property crime are the biggest issues we deal with locally, along with the meth and other drug offenses," Sips said.

Spencer's newest police chief hopes to use the experience he has gained from his years of military and law enforcement service to lead the next generation of officers in the department.

"We want our officers to be people of character and integrity; the kind of officers you would want to have protecting your family and your property," Sips said. "I believe we have that here, and I'm looking forward to leading this department and continuing to serve our citizens."

Sips and his wife, Shanel, make their home north of Spencer. The couple has five children between them and recently welcomed their first grandchild.