Joseph Turner retired from the Muncie, Indiana Police Department as the Uniform Bureau Commander in 1997 with 21 years of experience. He was instrumental in Muncie's efforts as the top mid-size DUI enforcement agency in Indiana. As head of the Traffic Division, and later Special Operations Director he oversaw a rise in DUI arrests of over 600%. Alcohol involved fatalities in Muncie during that time decreased from 26 people killed in the years 1988, 1989, and 1990 to a total of only two lives lost to alcohol involved crashes during the years 1991 through 1997 prior to his retirement.
Mr. Turner earned a Master’s degree in Health Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, both from Ball State University. A graduate of the Southern Police Institute, he has also attended a number of alcohol and drug courses including both Borkenstein Institute courses at Indiana University. He was named to the faculty of the Center for Studies of Law in Action at Indiana University, Drugs in Human Performance in 2004 and to the Alcohol and Highway Safety in 2007. He was named Course Manager for the Borkenstein courses in 2011. In 2006 he was named to the faculty of the Physiology and Health Science Department of Ball State University, where he taught Alcohol Problems, Drugs in Modern Society, and Introduction to Health Science.
He participated in the follow-up National Validation Study at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore Maryland in February 1995. There he spent three weeks testing laboratory dosed subjects in a double blind study as part of the Drug Addiction Research Center. In January 2008 he was named to the Technical Advisory Panel, the over-site body for the DEC program. He has also been named as an assessor of Highway Safety programs for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
While a member of the Muncie Police Department, Joseph Turner coordinated the Multi-County DUI Task Force. He wrote and coordinated the Teenage Alcohol Prevention “TAP” program. Both programs involved multi-agency enhanced DUI enforcement. Both programs were recognized by the state of Indiana for their success in saving lives. Success of the Multi-County Task force garnered recognition from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. He coached and shot on the championship team at the National SWAT Championships, Gainesville, GA. He also earned an individual second in the long range rifle counter sniper event. He and his wonderfully understanding wife of 45 years have raised four daughters and now enjoy their seven grandbabies.
