KOKOMO, IN- The Kokomo Police Department is pleased to announce the formal induction of three lateral police officers to our police department, Officer Samantha Raber, Officer Travis Cooper, and Officer Issa Oliver. This induction ceremony will be held on Monday, January 4, 2021 @ 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers of the City Building. Due to the current restrictions with respect to the COVID-19 situation, the ceremony will be private. The community can later view the ceremony on KGOV2.com and on the Kokomo Police Department Facebook page.
Officer Samantha Raber:
Samantha Raber was born in Linton, Indiana and her parents are Karl and Laura Eliason. She graduated from Southmont High School in Crawfordsville, Indiana in 2006. Shortly after graduation, Samantha enlisted in the Indiana National Guard where she was deployed overseas and served 12 years with the Military Police. Samantha was hired by the Peru Police Department in 2011 until her recent departure to join the Kokomo Police Department. During her service time with the Peru Police Department, she was a K9 handler for 5 of those years and served as a Sergeant on second shift. Samantha is married to William Raber and together they have one son, Noah.
Officer Travis Cooper:
Officer Travis Cooper was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and grew up locally. He graduated from Tri-Central High School in 2006 and received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University of Kokomo in 2011. He began his law enforcement career in 2013 with the Windfall Police Department and graduated from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) with honors in 2014. In 2015, Officer Cooper was hired by the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office where he has spent the last five and a half years as a Deputy Sheriff. During his time at the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, Officer Cooper had been assigned to two specialty units and as a Field Training Officer. Officer Cooper also has approximately three years of experience as a part-time police officer with Indiana University Police Department.
Officer Issa Oliver:
Issa Oliver was born in Poway, California, but eventually moved to Monticello, Indiana, where he now resides. His parents are Christen and Craig Oliver, and he has two younger brothers, Alex and Jacob. Issa is currently in his final semester at Indiana University Kokomo and will graduate with a degree in criminal justice. With the cadet program offered at IU-K, he attended the Indiana University Police Academy last summer and worked as campus police about five months until he was prepared to further his career with the Kokomo Police Department. Issa’s hobbies include working on vehicles, collecting antique firearms, and playing some instruments on the amateur level.