The Logansport Board of Public Works and Safety on Wednesday accepted the retirement of Police Chief Travis Jike and approved his request to retain a department-issued firearm under state law. The board voted to accept Jike’s retirement and separately approved the surplus and sale of a department Glock to Jike for $275.

Jike told the board he has “20 years and 10 months” of service with the police department and that the retirement was not a surprise, saying he and city staff had been discussing the timing for months. “This was not an easy decision for all of us,” Jike said, thanking his wife, family and colleagues.

The request to allow the chief to retain his duty weapon cited IC 7.1-2-2-11.5; the board’s letter and staff presentation said that statute permits an eligible officer who retires with at least 20 years of service to retain a service weapon. The board approved the surplus and sale of the firearm, listed in the department inventory as a Glock 43 X, for a trade-in/purchase price of $275.

The board’s recorded roll call on the actions showed affirmative votes from Levi Jones and Chris Martin when the items were called. The board did not record any opposing votes during the meeting on either the retirement acceptance or the weapon-surplus item.

Assistant Chief Sean Heishman will serve as interim chief while the city moves forward with permanent leadership decisions, the board said during the meeting.

Jike reflected on his tenure with remarks about partnerships across the county and within the department: “I feel like we left this better than I found it,” he said, and he expressed confidence in Heishman’s ability to lead in the near term.

No additional personnel actions or a timeline for hiring a permanent chief were presented at the meeting. The board’s acceptance of the retirement and its approval of the firearm surplus were the formal actions recorded on Sept. 10.