Police works fits Dramann

Bill Dramann recalls how he became interested in law enforcement: “When I was a kid, I remember watching a black-and-white movie about a young officer who helped an old lady across a busy street.”

Even though he doesn’t know the movie’s title, he recalls the young man drove a 1956 Plymouth.

The Batesville resident began his four-decade career April 1, 1969, when he started working full time with the Batesville Police Department. Prior to this, Dramann worked as a nonpaid special police officer with the department.

In addition to on-the-job training, he attended the 18th Law Enforcement Academy, Bloomington, in 1972. During his 23 years with the BPD, he served as patrolman, detective, sergeant and, for nine years, chief.

Then he was a Ripley County Sheriff’s Department deputy and held the position of sheriff for two terms (1995-2002). Currently, he is Sunman town marshal.

“Technology has changed dramatically,” the son of the late Bhuford and Alma Dramann reveals. “Being an older officer, it’s hard to adjust to the changes, but being realistic, I know it’s necessary .... Activity moves faster and there’s more people in the county.”

The advancement of DNA sampling, with mouth swaps and blood samples, is “something that builds a more solid case, along with usual fingerprinting.”

There are also improved radios and monitoring in police cars and the “blessing of cell phones. Back when I started, we had a two-channel radio” and a walkie-talkie that had about a 2-mile range.

When Dramann was a rookie, the BPD only had six hours each day of dispatch inside the police station. “Ruth Kramer, (BPD chief’s wife), answered dispatch at her house .... There were three officers working in the city .... I worked six days a week for $4,800 a year with no overtime.

“It was a great learning experience. You learned how to work by yourself .... The nearest 24-hour dispatches were in Greensburg, Brookville and Lawrenceburg .... In 1973, the city of Batesville went back to 24-hour dispatching in the police station,” the 62-year-old recalls.

Throughout the past four decades, he has been “involved in murder cases and investigations along with the ISP, worked an attempted murder case ... all the way down to parking violations.”

One of the changes he has noticed has to do with burglaries. “Modern TV has educated the criminals to avoid being arrested. Also, cell phones give intruders the advantage of having communications with each other.” However, “law enforcement also has increased knowledge to apprehend the burglars.”

The biggest change involves “calls from parents saying they cannot control their juvenile children.” He used to never receive calls like that, but “laws have changed and with parental abuse and domestic violence complaints ... children feel parents can’t correct this … and on the flip side, parents are afraid of getting arrested for child abuse.”

The marshal says the worst cases involve child molestations.

Even though he may have felt somewhat threatened at times, “I was never intimidated or scared .... you’ve got to be cautious.”

What are his fondest memories? “Being in the right place at the right time to help people out .... (and) being elected sheriff in Ripley County because people have faith in you, and you’re only one out of 92 people at that time (in that position) in the state of Indiana.”

The St. Louis Catholic Church member expresses his gratitude to former ISP Trooper Ed Hunter, who “suggested you treat people the same way you want to be treated.”

He gives credit to his father, who also taught him that and to “be honest with yourself .... (and) when you give someone your word, you keep it.”

Dramann has been married to wife Martha for 42 years, and they have one daughter, Theresa Fullenkamp, and four grandchildren.

His hobbies include helping his son-in-law on the farm and antique tractors.

The friendly man comments, “I owe my 40 years of service to the people of Ripley County .... Without the help of the general public, we cannot do our job. We need their eyes and ears.”

In addition, he thanks numerous law enforcement officers because “one person cannot be a police officer by himself. It takes the involvement of the entire police community.”

Diane Raver can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 114; or diane.raver@ batesvilleheraldtribune.com.

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