GREENFIELD — A recent trip to Indianapolis to take part in a leadership academy is just one of the many things Nichole Gilbert had on her to-do list as she settled into her new role with the Greenfield Police Department.
Gilbert, 41, a Greenfield native, is now the highest-ranking woman in the police department. She recently was promoted to lieutenant and is now head of the General Investigation and Narcotics Division.
She replaces longtime lead detective Randy Ratliff, who retired in July after 24 years at GPD, including 19 years as a detective.
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Gilbert just spent several days in Indianapolis taking part in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Leadership Academy, trying to help build on the attributes that helped her earn her new position.
Gilbert is a 1996 Greenfield-Central High School graduate who has been with the department since 2009. She worked her way through the ranks after being hired on as a field officer. She also served several years with the Cumberland Police Department. Her first job in law enforcement was at the Hancock County Jail.
As soon as Gilbert started working at the jail, she knew law enforcement was what she wanted to do.
“I couldn’t image doing anything else,” Gilbert said. “Especially after I became a reserve and being a road officer and then becoming a full-time officer, it was exactly what I wanted to do.”
During her time with the department, Gilbert has also been a training officer. She started moving toward investigations as a career path when she became a detective and began working with Ratliff in 2012.
Gilbert liked the idea of being able to work a case from beginning to end, which is what investigators do, she said.
Gilbert has strong leadership skills and was the clear choice to take over the detectives division, deputy chief Matt Holland said.
Not only did she interview well during the most recent hiring process, Holland said, but she also has the ability to lead and manage the detective division. She will supervise five detectives and an intelligence analyst.
“With the amount of case work that our investigation division carries, it is imperative that we have a lieutenant at the helm that has investigative experience coupled with a take-charge personality that can manage the investigations effectively,” Holland said.
Gilbert, who formerly was a sergeant, says her work with Ratliff prepared her for what is certain to be a challenging job.
“Randy was an incredible supervisor to work for, and I obviously want to continue that,” Gilbert said. “Obviously, I have some huge shoes to fill.”
She’s also looking forward to implementing some of her own ideas and focusing on using the latest technology to help solve crimes.
While her group is small, it has been well-trained to handle even the most difficult cases, she said.
“Randy was very good at managing the large crime scenes, and teaching all of us how to work a homicide,” she said.
Gilbert doesn’t want to make much of her being the first woman to lead the investigations division. Instead, she said, she is excited to work with the same people she’s worked with the past several years.
“We have a great team and a great working arrangement here,” Gilbert said. “But, I do like the thought that if I have ideas or changes, I can make those changes.”
