A two-month search to hire a new police chief at Indiana University Southeast ended Tuesday when acting Maj. Charles Edelen of Louisville Metro Police accepted the job.
Edelen, a 21-year veteran, will take the position at the New Albany campus on Sept. 1.
"I'm excited for the opportunity," said Edelen, of Fisherville, Ky. "It's got a lot of things that match my interests and experience."
He said he will retire from the LMPD at the end of the month.
At IUS, he will be paid between $60,000 and $63,800 a year, said IUS spokeswoman Erica Walsh.
One of two finalists, Edelen, 43, was chosen because of his experience as commander of the LMPD bomb squad, time spent as a leader for the hostage negotiating team and eight years as a volunteer firefighter, said IUS Chancellor Sandra R. Patterson-Randles.
"He has an amazing breadth and depth of experience," she said. "He really has been in the trenches in terms of safety. I found that pretty impressive."
Patterson-Randles also cited Edelen's demeanor.
"He's level headed," she said. "He uses good sense and more than anything else he really values a sense of community."
Edelen will have about 10 officers under his command, as well as some administrative staff, according to information released by the school. Before starting, he must be certified as a law enforcement officer in Indiana.
The other finalist, former Louisville police chief Eugene Sherrard, withdrew July 31, the same day The Courier-Journal published a story about his candidacy. Sherrard had been fired as Louisville police chief in 2000 after approving awards of valor for two white officers who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager trying to escape from an alley in a stolen sport utility vehicle.
The shooting outraged the African-American community. The officers said they feared that the teen, Desmond Rudolph, would run over them, and a grand jury cleared them of any criminal wrongdoing.
Edelen said he hasn't thought about changes or recommendations to make.
"I think I need to get in there and understand the job a little better before I make any commitments on what we need to do," he said.