Sheriff announces appointment of new DARE Deputies

Bartholomew County Sheriff Matthew A. Myers announced the appointment of two additional DARE Deputies on Thursday. They are Deputy Nick Martoccia and Deputy Andrew Whipker. The pair join current DARE Deputy Jessica Pendleton.

Deputy Martoccia began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2009. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School and holds an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement from Vincennes University.

Deputy Whipker began his career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Merit Deputy in 2015. Prior to his service with BCSO, Whipker served as a Probation Officer with the Greenwood, IN Probation Department. He is a graduate of Columbus East High School and holds a Criminal Justice degree from IUPUC.

Deputy Pendleton began her career with the Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy before becoming a Merit Deputy in 2009. In 2011, she was BCSO’s K-9 Officer and, in 2015, she became the Sheriff’s DARE Officer.

Sheriff Myers says that in addition to their DARE duties, Deputies Pendleton, Martoccia and Whipker will continue to perform a variety of law enforcement duties including those of responding to calls for service.

Sheriff Matthew A. Myers says it is important to get more deputies into county schools. He noted: “Our DARE deputies perform a variety of duties. In addition to their duties in law enforcement, they will instruct Bartholomew County students and other youth in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program and coordinate program activities with local school administrators, teachers, parents and peers.”