Our Team

A life long Evansville resident, Sergeant Erik Nilssen has been in law enforcement for over ten years, serving with the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office since 2008. Erik is a graduate of Reitz-Memorial High School where he played football and baseball and earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank achievable within the Boy Scouts of America. Sgt. Nilssen is also a graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, Southern Police Institute's Police Training Officer Academy, and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. Sgt. Nilssen is a certified ILEA instructor with additional certifications in Crisis Intervention (CIT), Advanced Roadside Impairment Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), and a certified BAC DataMaster/Intoximeter operator. Sgt. Nilssen comes from a family of public servants, which includes a grandfather who served in the US Army as a combat medic during WWII and a grandfather who served in the US Army as a Military Policeman during the Korean War.

   Prior to beginning his law enforcement career, Sgt. Nilssen managed and operated a lumber and building materials supply business with an annual sales budget of $18 million and twelve employees. 

    Sgt. Nilssen is currently assigned to 2nd shift as a motor patrol supervisor, serves as a member of the Indiana Sheriff's Association Memorial Honor Guard Team, the Lead Adviser for the agency's Law Enforcement Exploring program, an ILEA Physical Fitness Exam Proctor, and previously served as a Police Training Officer (PTO) and K-9 handler. In 2018, Sgt. Nilssen was awarded the Sheriff's Commendation award for his assistance in developing the current Field Training Program for new Deputy Sheriffs.

In his time off, Sgt. Nilssen enjoys volunteering in the community, fishing, hunting, backpacking across the U.S., and officiating high school football.

   Officer Matt Karges has been a police officer with the city of Evansville since 2011. Prior to this, he served as a Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office Confinement Officer. Having grown up in Evansville, Officer Karges graduated from Mater Dei High School, the Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, and holds an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from IvyTech Community College. Officer Karges, a fourth-generation police officer, comes from a long line of Evansville Police Officers that started in 1941 with his great grandfather. This upbringing has given Officer Karges a unique perspective many don't have in the evolution of community policing.

Officer Karges has a great deal of experience policing the toughest parts of Evansville, the third largest city in Indiana, with an average metropolitan density estimate of over 300, 000 people throughout a week day.  Officer Karges has always taken the "job" seriously, utilizing the utmost integrity and moral character as focal points throughout his career. Officer Karges has been trained in multiple less-lethal munitions and has attended several leadership-oriented training classes to invest in his character as a role model in the community.

      Officer Karges is a certified Indiana Law Enforcement Academy Instructor, a Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy graduate, a board member of multiple local non-profit organizations, and previously served as a Field Training Officer.  Officer Karges values family first, being the son of a Lakota Sioux Native American Indian.

In his time off, Officer Karges enjoys spending time with his family and attending local sporting events.