FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): He's been Police Chief, he's now director of Public Safety.
He wants to be a City Councilman.
Rusty York announced today he's seeking the Democratic nomination for City Council's 4th District seat. That's the seat currently held by Mitch Harper. Harper is running for mayor.
He says his understanding of public safety and ability to work with both political parties prepares him for the role.
York has served with the Fort Wayne Police Department since 1975, including 14 years as chief of police.
Here's the campaign announcement, verbatim.
Rusty York To Run For Fort Wayne 4th District City Council Seat
Rusty York, Director of Public Safety for the City of Fort Wayne, announced his campaign for Fort Wayne City Council 4th District Representative and filed today as a Democratic candidate.
Lifelong Fort Wayne residents, Rusty and his wife Judy raised two children here and have lived in their 4th District home for more than twenty years. They share a love of and commitment to this community.
“I know that I am blessed to call Fort Wayne my hometown,” said York “and I have always felt a responsibility to this community. Now, as Fort Wayne faces great possibilities, I am excited to offer my voice, experience and collaborative leadership to help us move forward.”
York holds a BS in Criminal Justice from IU and is a graduate of both the FBI National Academy and Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. He belongs to the International Assoc. of Chiefs of Police and traveled to Northern Ireland with the Police Executive Research Forum as a Community Policing consultant.
Rusty York began his career with the Ft. Wayne Police Department as a patrol officer in 1975 and retired with the rank of Detective Captain 22 years later. After serving as Supervisor of Transportation for FWCS, York felt called to serve again and returned to FWPD as Police Chief in 2000. He served in that capacity until taking the reins as Director of Public Safety in January, 2014.
York will bring to the council table a deep understanding of public safety, a proven ability to work effectively with elected officials from both political parties, more than 14 years of careful oversight of the largest portion of the Fort Wayne City budget, a widely respected reputation, a keen knowledge of the community and an ability to provide the leadership Fort Wayne needs to thrive.
“I offer the citizens of Fort Wayne's Fourth District the knowledge and experience gained through a lifetime of public service in our community. I will work tirelessly for my district and for all of Fort Wayne.”
