Following the retirement of longtime Long Beach Police Department Chief Marshal Robert “Bob” Sulkowski, who served with the town for 38 years, there's a new law enforcement veteran at the helm of the department.

In a letter posted to Facebook Wednesday, Chief Marshal Mark Swistek introduced himself to the residents of Long Beach, noting he is "extremely honored and humbled" to serve the town.

"My personal mission and commitment to the town is to provide professional police services, built on a foundation of essential partnerships with the town government and the residents we serve," Swistek said in the post.

To achieve his goal, Swistek said the department plans to enhance its community policing strategies by asking residents to help develop a "unified" crime prevention strategy.

In his post Wednesday, Swistek said he respects and values "the experience, dedication, knowledge, and personal insight" from everyone who serves with the Long Beach department.

"To serve the members of the Department to the best of my ability, my personal goal is to provide an environment where the officers know they are supported by their community, which will inspire them to achieve a safer community for our residents and the many visitors to the Long Beach community each year," Swistek wrote.

The new chief added the department will be "committed to providing the utmost professional public safety services in a courteous, efficient, and accessible manner to all."

"Each member of the department will conduct themselves with the highest degree of ethical behavior and professional conduct during the performance of their law enforcement duties," he said.

Previously, Swistek served as police chief for the Michigan City Police Department for nine years and was with the department for 28 years before resigning in October 2019 following a dispute with former Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer. 

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