Police Officer. Community Advocate. Family Man.
Troy Hershberger is a lifelong Allen County resident, who is a conservative family man, representing Northeast Indiana values. He is pro-life, pro Second Amendment, and will always fight to uphold the rule of law. With 32 years of law enforcement experience in the Sheriff’s department, Troy has done it all, serving as a patrol officer, Deputy Chief of Operations, Commander of Criminal Investigations, SWAT Team member, Bomb Squad member, and Lieutenant of Internal Affairs. In his current position of Chief Deputy, Troy oversees all aspects of the agency, and he knows what it takes to run a strong and effective Sheriff’s office as he supervises the divisions of Patrol, Investigations, Crime Scene, School Resource Officers, Community Resource Officers, Field Services, and IT. He knows the ins and outs of running a cost-effective Sheriff’s office, currently serving as the Sheriff Department’s Administration Division Commander that manages and operates the day-to-day office, making sure the Department runs efficiently within its budget.
The youngest of three children, Troy was blessed with strong role models who shaped his work ethic and character. His mother taught him to be strong and independent, to have a good work ethic, and to be frugal – and his grandmother taught him the good Christian family values he carries with him to this day as a devoted husband and father. He describes his wife as a "hardworking, organized, results-oriented and an outgoing person" who he considers his role model and rock. As for his two daughters, "Both girls are their own person but are strong, independent and caring individuals," whom he has strived to instill the importance of hard work and determination.
Troy spends his summer weekends at the lake with family and friends, and has earned his reputation as chef in the family. The Hershberger family is big on supporting all things local from restaurants and farmers markets to sports teams and boutiques. In addition to his zeal for sports (he played collegiate baseball), Troy enjoys traveling and history. In addition to his vast experience from years on the job, Troy holds an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University, and has been elected as an Allen County Republican Precinct Committee Member for the past 20 years.
Criminal Justice Career
Troy discovered his passion for law enforcement as a student at IPFW and was hired onto the Allen County Sheriff's Department in 1989. Throughout his decades-long career with the Sheriff's department, Troy has held several specialty assignments and roles. Prior to his current role as Chief Deputy, he was appointed to Deputy Chief of Operations from January 2015 through April 2020. During this time, he supervised the divisions of Patrol, Investigations, Crime Scene, School Resource Officers, Community Resource Officers, Field Services and Information and Technology.
Troy has also held the following roles throughout his diverse career in criminal justice:
Lieutenant of Internal Affairs
Commander of Criminal Investigations
Sergeant of Patrol
Investigator/Detective
Patrol Officer
Polygraphist
SWAT team member
Bomb Squad member
K-9 handler/officer
Administration Division Commander
Community Contributions
Troy has been instrumental in driving changes throughout Allen County from his leadership to on the ground execution. Some past initiatives include the following:
Increased officers by 17 positions in the last 4 years and working closely with the school districts and administration. Ten of those positions were approved for SRO Officers to help ensure the safety in our school systems.
Implemented a new bike patrol in the summer of 2019 with 4 bike officers patrolling our trail system and county parks for the continued safety of our community.
Organized Allen County's largest concert for 3 consecutive years, the Luke Bryan Farm Tour, bringing in 20,000 citizens from several surrounding areas. Duties encompassed site location selection, security, logistics and traffic coordination with several agencies.
Troy's vast community involvement also encompasses the following past and present roles:
The Mayor's Commission on Domestic Violence, Rape and Sexual Harassment
Allen County's Child Death Review Team
Child Protection Team of Allen County
Allen County School Safety Commission
Advisory Board of the YMCA Youth Services Bureau
Board of Directors of the Alcohol Abuse Deterrent Program
Great KIDS Make Great Communities Advisory Board,
Dr. Bill Lewis Center for Children and the Crime Stoppers Advisory Board.
YWCA of Northeast Indiana
Fort Wayne Women's Bureau where he was nominated for the Empowerment Award
Upbringing and Family Life
The youngest of three children, Hershberger has had strong female role models in his life that have shaped his work ethic and character. My mother taught me to be strong, independent, have a good work ethic and to be frugal," he told Glo Magazine. "My grandmother taught me good Christian and family values."
As a husband and father, he continues to champion the values he was raised on. He describes his wife as a "hardworking, organized, results-oriented and an outgoing person" who he considers his role model. As for his two daughters, "Both girls are their own person but are strong, independent and caring girls," whom he has strived to instill the importance of hard work and determination.
Hobbies and Interests
He spends his summer weekends at the lake with family and friends, and has earned his reputation as chef in the family. The Hershberger family is big on supporting all things local from restaurants and farmers markets to sports teams and boutiques. In addition to his zeal for sports (he played collegiate baseball at IPFW), Troy enjoys traveling and history of all periods.
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