The Thin Line Spotlight: Sergeant Darrick Deeter
Writer / Matt Keating
Photography Provided
Sergeant Darrick Deeter of Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department (WMPD) says one of the best parts of his job is being able to make a positive difference in the lives of other people.
It’s been that way since he started his job.
“I have been with WMPD since 2017,” Deeter says. “Before starting my career in law enforcement, I served in the military with the rank of sergeant as an infantryman and recruiter. I graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.”
Deeter says his duties keep him busy.
“I am a night-shift sergeant as well as a firearms instructor, patrol rifle instructor, and the certified AR/M16/M4/Glock armorer for the department,” Deeter says. “Primarily I’m responsible for supervising one of the night shifts in Whitestown. I have the privilege to work alongside four excellent officers and help guide them through training, tactics, major incidents, and provide education on legal issues or questions that may arise on shift.”
Deeter has a lot of responsibilities as an armorer with the department.
“As the armorer, I am responsible for maintaining our rifle and handgun fleet,” he says. “I also provide firearms training to our officers as a certified firearms instructor. I provide education on best practices for tactical situations and help design training that pushes our officers to be the best and safest they can be.”
Deeter enjoys his job. “My favorite part of being a police officer is being able to make a difference,” Deeter says. “I genuinely love this community and really appreciate the support we receive. I believe God has blessed me tremendously with the opportunity to be available for people when they’re in need, sometimes experiencing the worst day of their life. I take that responsibility to heart.”
Deeter also values the work he does with his fellow officers.
“My other favorite part of my job is having the opportunity to work with excellent officers on my shift, our department and in our county,” Deeter says. “I also really enjoy studying law and keeping up to date on modern firearms training, ballistics and tactics. My schedule is often very full but I truly love every minute of it.”
Deeter has had some memorable moments during his career that he will never forget.
“Just like any cop, I could tell stories for days, but two experiences in particular stick out to me,” Deeter says. “In 2020 I was able to save a child from choking to death, for which I received a Life Saver award from my department. More recently, my shift successfully located a vehicle involved in a dangerous kidnapping from Wisconsin, for which we received a Big Fish award. With the help of the Zionsville Police Department, the Boone County Police Department and Lebanon Police Department, we were able to safely rescue the children and make arrests.”
Deeter says there are ways the Whitestown community can help the police.
“In my opinion, the community helps the police by supporting us and communicating with us whenever there’s a problem,” he says. “It’s no secret that we cannot do this job without help from our citizens. Not only does their support mean the world to us, but their input and communication allows us to be the public servants they want and deserve. We cannot be everywhere at once, so we rely on them to make problems known, help us solve problems, and be extra eyes and ears.”
When Deeter isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his family.
“I have a beautiful wife named Lakye, with whom I have been married for almost 10 years now,” he says. “She’s incredibly supportive of my career and is truly one of a kind, and I am very blessed God brought us together.”
