Frank Anderson served as Sheriff of Marion County, Indiana

Marion County, Indiana

Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 903,393, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country, greater than the population of six states. The county seat is Indianapolis, the state capital and...

 from 2003 until 2011 when he was succeeded by Sheriff John R. Layton, and is the first black individual to serve in that post. He is the second black Sheriff in Indiana after Oatess E. Archey.

Early life and career

Frank Anderson grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. While a student at Shortridge High School

Shortridge High School

Shortridge High School is a public high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Opened in 1864, it is the oldest free, public high school in the state...

, he was a member of the wrestling team, and was inducted into the IHSWCA Hall of Fame in 1990. Following graduation from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 Shore Patrol

Shore patrol

Shore patrol are service members that are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore...

, serving from 1956 to 1959.

From 1961 to 1965, he served as a Patrol Deputy in the Marion County Sheriff's Department. From 1965 to 1977, he served in the United States Marshals Service

United States Marshals Service

The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...

, serving first as a Deputy Marshal, and later as an inspector and security specialist.

During his tenure with the U.S. Marshals, he helped create and later directed the Federal Witness Protection Program. In 1977, he was appointed as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, becoming the top federal law enforcement official for over half the state, serving in that post until 1981.

Following a brief stint in the private sector, he was appointed as a District Director for the United States Federal Protective Service

United States Federal Protective Service

The Federal Protective Service is the federal police force of the Secretary of Homeland Security. As a component of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Protection and Programs Directorate within DHS Headquarters, FPS is responsible for law enforcement and security of nearly 9,000...

, where he was in charge of providing security in federal facilities in Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

, Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, and parts of Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

 and Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 from 1983 to 1994. He was reappointed as U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana, serving from 1994 to 2001. In that capacity, he oversaw the federal government seizure of the Indianapolis Baptist Temple

Indianapolis Baptist Temple

The Indianapolis Baptist Temple is an Independent Baptist church based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The church's building was seized by the U.S. federal government after the church refused to withhold taxes from employees' paychecks for 16 years....

, winning praise for his peaceful handling of the standoff.

He was elected as the County's first black Sheriff in 2002, and subsequently reelected in 2006. Following his reelection as Sheriff, his duties were expanded to include oversight of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is the law enforcement agency for the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States. Its operational jurisdiction covers all of the consolidated city of Indianapolis and Marion County except for the Airport Authority and three of the four...

 in accordance with legislation signed by Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson

Bart Peterson

Barton "Bart" R. Peterson is the former mayor of the U.S city of Indianapolis, Indiana. A Democrat first elected in 1999, he was defeated in 2007 in a bid for a third term in what was widely viewed as a huge upset.A lifelong Indianapolis resident, Peterson graduated from North Central High School...

. Following Peterson's defeat for reelection in November, 2007, the new mayor, Greg Ballard

Gregory A. Ballard

Gregory A. Ballard is the Republican mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. On Tuesday, November 6, 2007, he defeated two-term incumbent Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson by 51% to 47%. It was described as one of the biggest upsets in the political history of Indiana.-Background:Ballard was...

 has said that he will fulfill a campaign promise to remove the Sheriff as statutory head of the Police Department and put it under the Mayor's authority within the Department of Public Safety.

Salary Controversy

Sheriff Anderson's annual compensation is more than that of the Governor of the State of Indiana or the Mayor of the City of Indianapolis,. Sheriff Anderson turned down a $50,000 per year raise when he came under public scrutiny after an Indianapolis Star article detailed his 2005 annual base pay as $102,000 in addition to $268,000 from a portion of fees collected from tax warrants, for total compensation of $370,000, nearly that of the President of the United States.

Indiana State Senate Campaign

On June 8, 2010, Frank Anderson announced that he has plans to seek the Democratic Party's nomination for Indiana State Senate, District 31. The seat has been held by Republican James W. Merritt

James W. Merritt

James W. Merritt Jr. is a Republican member of the Indiana Senate, representing the 31st District since 1997. He was first elected to the Indiana Senate in 1990. He most recently won reelection to the State Senate in 2010, defeating then-Marion County Sheriff Frank J. Anderson by a margin of 52% to...

since 1990. Merritt defeated Anderson 52 percent to 44 percent in the 2010 General Election.