Memorial Hospital Security & Police Department

How did a local hospital come to form its own police department?

South Bend's Memorial Hospital is just the second hospital in Indiana to form its own police department.

The newly formed police department enhances the existing Security Department by having highly skilled and trained police officers on the hospital campus 24 hours a day—bringing an even greater peace of mind to associates, patients and guests.

Due to a change in state law in July 2013, hospitals were given the authority to create police departments. And when it did, Dan Rutledge, Director of Security and now Memorial Police Chief and Craig Whitfield, Asst. Police Chief, didn’t waste time on navigating Memorial to create its own police department.

“Memorial prides itself on having the best associates, the best technology, the best capabilities. By having a police department, this allows us to have the best and safest campus we can get,” says Dan. Our police officers now have legal authority on the Memorial Hospital and Epworth Center campuses to respond immediately and take required action when needed, including arrest. Officers can now conduct investigations through the local criminal court and now have access to law enforcement information to enhance criminal investigations.

Memorial Hospital’s Board of Trustees gave its approval of forming a police department in March 2014. Kreg Gruber, Beacon Medical Group President, has been among the most passionate champions of the police department. “We often think of safety for our patients and visitors. Additionally, safety for our associates is also vital,” says Kreg. “With a police department, our staff will have some capabilities and actions available to them that were not before. Additionally, the training and certification requirements are higher, so our standard of education, knowledge and performance has been raised, making for a safer environment all the way around.”

 A swearing-in ceremony of the eight police officers, required by state law, took place at the Pfeil Innovation Center on Aug. 28. These officers completed a 40-hour basic training course at the St. Joseph County Police Department; additionally, they will each attend eight weeks of training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield, Ind. Memorial’s Police Department will now be a vital part of the law enforcement community in Michiana. “We are very supportive of what Memorial Hospital has done to not only enhance the professionalism of its department but also to improve the level of safety on its campus and in the community,” says Matt Blank, Public Information Officer of St. Joseph County Police Department.

This will be a hybrid meeting - - you can attend in-person at Matterhorn Conference Center or virtually on Zoom at noon: 

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9601448006?pwd=WGhWc3h5MDByVlRORGcyYnN2WjROUT09
Meeting ID: 960 144 8006 | Passcode: 1917