Jake Gambill named Worthington Town Marshal

With a public service career that has included law enforcement, fire, and ambulance, Jake Gambill is taking it back to where it all started — the Worthington Police Department. 

Gambill began his public service career as a reserve deputy with the Worthington Police Department in 2014 and on Tuesday night, he was named the department’s new town marshal. 

He replaces former town marshal Jim O’Malley who retired from the department earlier this summer. 

He left the Worthington Police Department to take a position as a reserve officer at Jasonville in early 2015. He’s been a volunteer firefighter with Wright Township Fire Department since 2013 and is still active with the department. From 2016 until leaving for his new role, he worked as a firefighter at the Linton Fire Department. He works as needed for the Greene County Ambulance Department. He’s also been a deputy coroner since Joe Graves took office as coroner. He’s also a certified legal death investigator.

The experience he brings to the job makes Gambill a good fit for the position. 

“I believe the connections from having that much experience, especially in Greene County, with all other public service departments, personnel, personnel at the state level, Indiana State Police, coroner training, and being around new department heads (such as coroner Joe Graves and Jasonville Police Chief Ryan Van Horn) are beneficial,” Gambill said. 

Gambill credits former leaders for shaping him into the leader he aspires to be. 

“Ryan set the bar for me, especially in how he led and taught me how to lead. My management techniques and how I will lead will come from what I learned from him,” Gambill said. “Brad Sparks is one of the most influential names in Linton from his family’s legacy at the fire department. I was able to see how he interacted with the department.”

Gambill is looking forward to his new role. 

“I think it’s an unprecedented situation when you basically have a clean slate to start from. You don’t have any animosity forming from the old leader,” Gambill said. “Jim O’Malley started turning the tide on the department. He got the department honestly on track. He had a solid track to build on.”

Gambill said he is looking forward to building the community's trust back.

“We are going to have a department that is community focused with more community policing tasking,” Gambill said. 

Gambill also plans to use technology to benefit the department and the citizens of Worthington. He said he plans to utilize Facebook and is currently working on a website to post town ordinances. He’s also working on an avenue for residents to submit anonymous complaints or tip online. Residents will also be able to offer general statements to the department as well. 

“Sometimes it’s hard to catch one of us (at the department). I want it to be easy to reach out to us,” Gambill said. “We will have an open door policy. We want people to feel 100 percent comfortable coming up and speaking with officers at all times.” 

A change, Gambill said, includes uniforms. The officers will be wearing full Class A uniforms, similar to what is worn by the Indiana State Police. Gambill feels that type of uniform is less intimidating. 

Former Jasonville Police Chief Jim Gadberry taught Gambill the importance of making an impact on the lives of children. 

“My officers we will in the school. I want them (children) to feel comfortable initiating conversations with them,” Gambill said. “Most of the time when someone calls 911 it’s the worst day of their life. I want them to see us as a positive person in their life. I want them to look at us as someone they can trust. This is something I was taught by Jim Gadberry.” 

Gambill is looking to grow the reserve program, much like a feeder program, to get younger people involved. If there is turnover, he would like to look to the reserve program first. 

The application process for deputies and reserves has been re-opened. Interested applicants can apply until noon on Aug. 19. Gambill said the department intends to hire two full-time officers and see what interest there is for the reserve program.