John Foster named new BSU chief of police, assistant VP for public safety

MUNCIE, Ind. – A 30-year veteran with the Ball State University Police Department, John Foster, has been named the new assistant vice president for public safety.

Foster, who succeeds James Duckham, will also be Ball State's chief of police, the university announced Tuesday. Duckham retired Aug. 30 from that post, which he had held since 2014.

“I am excited to welcome Chief Foster to this new role as he continues to dutifully serve the campus and its surrounding communities,” said Ro-Anne Royer Engle, vice president of student affairs at Ball State, in a press release.

“John has devoted his life to understanding the complexities of policing while taking steps to continually learn and improve upon past performance. I look forward to working with John as we strive to enhance the quality of life for Ball State students while optimizing the effectiveness of our police operations.”

Foster, according to BSU, earned both his bachelor’s in criminal justice and master’s in public administration from Ball State.

The new chief expressed his gratitude to the Board of Trustees, President Geoffrey S. Mearns, Vice President Royer Engle, and the search committee for the opportunity to serve his alma mater.

“Since beginning my law enforcement career with the Ball State University Police Department, I have taken seriously our mission of providing a safe living and learning environment on campus and throughout Muncie and the East Central Indiana region,” Foster said in the release. “I believe that to be successful in this position, our agency must continue to forge positive relationships with those we serve. To do that, we will actively seek opportunities to meet and engage with our community partners and strive to solve problems objectively and with compassion for others.”

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: John Foster named BSU chief of police, assistant VP for public safety