Remender has been interim chief since March, and previously was a sergeant with the IUPD Indianapolis. Remender’s experience also includes serving as an officer with police departments in Danville and Pittsboro, Indiana, and as founder/president and counselor at at Alpha & Omega Youth and Family Services Inc., Crawfordsville.
“Chief Remender brings unique skills to our campus, with his background in youth counseling,” said Chancellor Susan Sciame-Giesecke. “That experience provides ability to communicate with and relate to our students. We’re excited to have him because of that background, and know that he will be a great asset to our community.”
Relationships are key to protecting the campus community, Remender said.
“As police chief, I want to be able to relate to people, students, faculty, and staff,” he said. “You have to be purposeful about it. When you’re on patrol, you have to stop and interact with people. When you have those relationships built, you are able to speak into people’s lives, and you have trust built into that.”
He noted that IU Kokomo was named the safest college campus in Indiana by yourlocalsecurity.com, and he intends to keep the campus safe, by working with area agencies, continuing the student cadet program with the criminal justice program, and providing service-oriented policing.
“I’m going to bring integrity and commitment to serve the IU Kokomo community and the Kokomo community in general, with best practices in police work,” Remender said.
Remender earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Western Michigan University, where he was a student public safety officer. He also earned a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Andersonville Theological Seminary, Camilla, Georgia. He’s currently a student in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice/Public Safety program at IUPUI, where he earned a certificate in emergency management.
“As Thomas has risen through the IUPD ranks, his educational background has made him a huge resource, allowing him to establish a mentoring program for new officers at the Indianapolis division,” Hunter said. “His eagerness to accept responsibilities around the state has served the department well. We expect to see more good work from him at IU Kokomo.”
Indiana University Kokomo serves north central Indiana.