Elkhart police tout holiday outreach; two patrolmen advance in class

Chief Dan Melanes told the Elkhart Police Merit Commission that the department's holiday outreach programs reached numerous families this season and thanked community donors for support.

Melanes described two signature efforts: a "shop with a police officer" event in which officers take identified children shopping and a detective-led juvenile Christmas party that provides gifts and meals for families. He credited donors including Burton's Laundry and Antonio's for contributions to the programs and noted department volunteers, school counselors and officers’ families help run the events. "Those those are real," Melanes said when recounting the impact on families.

Melanes also made two administrative notifications: Patrolman Gabriel Fryermuth and Patrolman Arthur Arriaga advanced automatically from third-class patrolman to second-class after completing their first year of service. The chief said such advancements occur as part of routine personnel progression and do not require commission votes; the commission acknowledged the notifications.

Melanes singled out Officer Presswood, a long-serving school-resource officer, for more than two decades of volunteer work, recounting an instance where Presswood and his family privately sponsored a family in need. Commissioners thanked the department for its community engagement.

No public comment was offered during the meeting.