Meet Kyle Weatherly

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Before wearing a badge, I wore the uniform of the United States Army. My time in the military shaped who I am at my core.

It taught me discipline, accountability, and how to lead by example, not from behind a desk, but from the front lines. I learned that leadership isn’t about rank, it’s about responsibility. It’s about showing up, standing firm in adversity, and never asking others to do what you aren’t willing to do yourself. The Army didn’t just prepare me to serve, it prepared me to serve with purpose.

Some younger voters might not even recognize this old building, but it was once the Wayne County Jail, and it’s where my career in law enforcement began. I started as a civilian corrections officer and was later promoted to a supervisory role, overseeing daily operations and helping guide new officers through some of their first experiences in the field. Within those walls, I met some incredible people, not just coworkers who helped shape me, but also those who were incarcerated. Many of them had stories that changed the way I see the world. This is where I learned that every person deserves dignity. That in this line of work, respect is earned, not given. And that listening remains one of the most powerful tools we have.

When I moved from the jail to patrol after graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, the learning curve wasn’t just about tactics, it was about terrain. Every call took me deeper into Wayne County. I learned the roads by driving them. I learned the people by meeting them, sometimes in moments of crisis, sometimes in moments of calm. I spent nights navigating the curves of Abington, early mornings rolling through the hills of 227 North, and maybe taking a moment to watch a skydiver in Boston. Those miles taught me more than a map ever could. They gave me a real connection to the people and places I’d sworn to protect, and a firsthand understanding that no two towns are the same, but they all deserve the same level of service. That’s how I started building trust, not just through a badge, but through presence, consistency, and respect.

My time on patrol laid the foundation, but it was just the beginning. I became a detective, where I learned to pursue the truth relentlessly and stand beside families as they waited for answers. From there, I was promoted to patrol sergeant, leading officers through the same streets I once patrolled. I mentored younger deputies, managed critical calls, and made sure every decision in the field was guided by experience, integrity, and accountability. Eventually, I was entrusted to oversee all major investigations. I led a team of detectives working everything from homicides and drug overdoses to missing persons and complex criminal cases. I worked hand-in-hand with families, listening to their pain, answering their calls, and closing cases that brought long-awaited closure. This journey, from deputy to detective to supervisor, wasn’t about chasing titles. It was about earning trust, both from the officers I led and the people we served.

After twenty years of boots-on-the-ground service, I was honored to be entrusted with leading one of the largest law enforcement agencies in Eastern Indiana. That role came with great responsibility, and I took it seriously. We overhauled outdated policies, prioritized officer wellness, modernized our training with national best practices like ICAT, and, most importantly, reestablished trust between our department and the community we serve. To strengthen my leadership even further, I completed the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s School of Police Staff and Command, a nationally respected program that develops law enforcement’s most effective and forward-thinking leaders. I didn’t pursue that opportunity to pad a resume. I did it to bring those lessons home, to build a better department, and to become the kind of leader our county needs. The job title may change, but the mission remains the same: lead with integrity, serve with purpose, and always put people first.