Former ISP Trooper Becomes Ellettsville Chief Of Police

Last updated on Wednesday, October 28, 2015

(ELLETTSVILLE) - The Ellettsville Town Council unanimously approved the appointment of Jimmie Durnil to Chief of Police as he was sworn in during a council meeting Monday. Chief Durnil begins his career with the Ellettsville Police Department following a 42 year career with the Indiana State Police.

Durnil is an Ellettsville native and a 1965 graduate of the first Edgewood High School class. In the early part of 1972, after serving four years in the US Navy, he was accepted to the 27th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy. On April 1st of that year, he was appointed as a Trooper and assigned to the former Connersville Post where he patrolled Henry & Wayne Counties. In April of 1980, Durnil was promoted to Sergeant and served as squad leader for the Connersville Post. In September of 1983, Durnil transferred to the Bloomington Post where he served as a Squad Leader until 1992, when he was promoted to First Sergeant. Durnil served in that capacity until August of 2000, when he was promoted to Captain over the Records Division. Durnil then transferred to Area IV in 2005 to serve as commander over the former Seymour, Connersville and current Versailles and Sellersburg Posts.

During his career, Durnil served as a Field Training Officer, a member of the Tactical Intervention Platoon, (TIP) and as the supervisor of the High Performance Traffic Enforcement Squad (Mustangs & Camaro's). Durnil served as a counselor in two Indiana State Police Recruit Academy's and was named the officer of the year in 1989 by the Bloomington Northside Exchange Club. Durnil graduated from the FBI National Academy in 1992 and has received numerous letters of appreciation and commendation over the course of his career.

Durnil then served four years as the ISP Bloomington Regional Dispatch Manager which serves the Bloomington, Terre Haute, Jasper and Evansville State Police Districts.

Chief Durnil proudly stated "No matter where I was assigned in my career, whether in the US Navy or as a Trooper to another area in Indiana, when I was asked where I was from, I always said Ellettsville! I am excited for this new opportunity and look forward to serving the people of my hometown as their Chief of Police. I feel it is an honor to have been chosen to do so".

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