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INDIANAPOLIS — City officials and IMPD officers took part in a ceremony Thursday that recognized the service and years of dedication of three former chiefs of police with the Indianapolis Police Department.

During the ceremony, speakers praised the work of former Indianapolis Police Department Chief Joseph McAtee, Chief Paul Annee, and Chief James Toler.

Chief Randal Taylor, the current head of IMPD, expressed that he was happy to learn more about what his predecessors went through during their time leading the city’s police force.

“Even though times have changed, there was still those same difficulties. They still had to go through those rough waters and be challenged with difficult decisions,” said Taylor. “In some ways I think that comforts me a little to know that I’m not the only one dealing with things.”

Each of the three chiefs will also have plaques placed in their honor at different locations around the city.

Chief McAtee’s will be at the mounted patrol division, Chief Annee’s at the training academy and Chief Toler’s will be at the chief’s conference room downtown.

“I’m hoping that this starts, what we’re doing today starts an opportunity for us to really appreciate the people who have led this great department in the past and not only them but their families,” said Taylor. “Some of their families have gone on to duplicate what they’ve done in law enforcement, or at least be in law enforcement, and some haven’t but we all know being officers that our families are right there with us.”

Taylor says the three former chiefs are always willing to talk, and ask about how he is doing in that role while offering a deeper understanding since they know what the job is like.

An act he sees continuing when thinking about the future, and who will follow him in leading the IMPD.

“As I start thinking about what are the next steps for me and how long do I occupy this seat, I do think of who’s coming up and what things do I need to be doing to make sure that they can either, that they can do better than me but that the things that I’ve put in place, that those things will continue or be advanced,” Taylor said.