The Crawfordsville Police Department’s hiring of former Greenwood Police Officer Elijah Allen has sparked public criticism and support online after residents learned Allen resigned from the Greenwood Police Department in 2023 while under investigation for misconduct.
Allen was sworn in July 1 by Mayor Todd Barton as a new probationary officer, after being approved through the Crawfordsville Police Department’s hiring process.
According to Greenwood Police Department records, Allen was one of five Greenwood officers investigated in 2023 for alleged violations involving the use of department computers and mobile data terminals. The officers were accused of sending derogatory, defamatory, obscene, antisemitic, homophobic, sexually suggestive, harassing and other inappropriate messages through the department’s mobile data system.
The investigation alleged the officers violated Greenwood Police Department policies governing information technology use, mobile data terminal use and standards of conduct, including the use of derogatory or profane language while on duty or in uniform.
The investigation included a disciplinary documented with more than 5,000 pages of texts and communications between the five officers from July 2021 to July 2023.
Five officers were accused of misconduct. Three resigned before disciplinary action could be completed. Allen and another officer were suspended without pay pending disciplinary hearings. Allen resigned from the department in October of 2023, weeks before his scheduled disciplinary hearing. This followed the other suspended officer’s termination.
Greenwood Police Chief James Ison declined to comment for this story.
The hiring has generated significant discussion on social media. A Crawfordsville Police Department Facebook post announcing Allen’s swearing in received hundreds of comments, with some residents criticizing the department’s decision while others said Allen deserved a second chance.
Among the comments, Kara Riley wrote, “Y’all should be embarrassed for hiring this guy. Do better, Crawfordsville.”
Another commenter, Amber Rain, wrote, “Imagine being investigated for using slurs on work equipment and just switching departments to avoid consequences.”
Others voiced support for the hiring. Dan Malek commented, “I think he deserves a chance. Don’t judge someone till you know the full story. He could be a good person if he gets the chance. We’re all human and everyone makes mistakes.”
Crawfordsville Police Chief Aaron Mattingly said Allen left Greenwood, spent approximately a year working in the private sector and later served as a sworn officer with the Speedway Police Department before applying to Crawfordsville.
“After a couple of years working with Speedway, Elijah wanted to work in the community he grew up in and applied,” Mattingly said.
Mattingly said Crawfordsville’s hiring process includes multiple interviews, an extensive background investigation, conversations with family members, friends, references, neighbors and former employers, reviews of personnel records from previous law enforcement agencies and a polygraph examination before candidates interview with the Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners.
“Our hiring process is extensive,” the chief said.
Barton said the Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners independently reviews each applicant before making hiring decisions.
“The Metropolitan Board of Police Commissioners consists of a politically diverse panel of Crawfordsville citizens, and they are very thorough in their process of hiring officers,” Barton said. “They review all information from an extensive background investigation, testing data and conduct interviews prior to making decisions.”
Barton said he has “the utmost confidence” in the board’s ability to make hiring decisions “in accordance with Indiana statutes, accepted best practices for law enforcement, and in the best interest of all Crawfordsville residents, visitors and property owners.”
Following the Greenwood misconduct investigation, department leaders commissioned an independent review of traffic stops involving the five officers after discovering electronic messages considered racist in nature.
The independent review concluded there was weak and inconsistent evidence that the five officers treated Black drivers differently in some circumstances. The report found Black drivers stopped by the officers were more likely to receive citations for speeding under certain conditions, but found no evidence of discriminatory treatment toward other racial or ethnic groups and described the evidence involving Black drivers as weak and inconsistent.
