February 09, 2022

Miami Valley law enforcement agencies receive grants to reinvent recruitment - WDTN.com

SIDNEY, Ohio (WDTN) – A dozen law enforcement agencies in Ohio will get help from the governor’s office by providing grants to reinvent how they recruit diverse candidates, including five agencies in the Miami Valley.

The Sidney Police Department is one agency receiving some of the money. Chief William Balling said the physical fitness test for recruits is often above the capabilities for female candidates. The department is now aiming to level the field.

“We all do the same job, whether we’re male or female,” Balling said. “So we did want one standard for all the officers that was applying, or have been working on the department.”

The department will receive $36,945 to create a new fitness test based on situations officers encounter day-to-day.

“We want to develop this year a standardized test that is more fair to all the candidates, whether male or female, based on job performance measures and also hold ourselves accountable because we owe that to our citizens,” Balling said.

Balling said the department wants their fitness test to set an example for other agencies in the state to adopt after its creation.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office will receive more than $58,248.80 to create an educational program that gets high school juniors and seniors who are interested in law enforcement involved.

After completion of the program, students can enter a cadet program through the sheriff’s office. After that, the students have the opportunity to become a corrections officer at the Clark County Jail after graduation. Students would also be able to continue their criminal justice education at Clark State mostly tuition-free.

“It’s going to serve such a great dual purpose in educating a targeted population about law enforcement and helping them learn and better understand, and then on the flip side, it’s also going to get employment and serve the county,” said Wendy Holt, grants and programs manager for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office will also launch a marketing plan aimed at recruiting female and minority candidates.

Both Holt and Balling said having a diverse police force is essential for agencies to do their jobs to help the community.

“We want to be a representation of who we serve because when people call you in times in need they sometimes feel more comfortable talking to people like themselves,” Balling said.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office hopes to have their program in schools by April or May. The Sidney Police Department aims to have their new fitness standard in place by the end of the year.

Twelve agencies statewide received a total of $424,871 in grants. The Xenia Police Department, West Carrollton Police Department and Bellfontaine Police department also received grants from the state.

source: https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/miami-valley-law-enforcement-agencies-receive-grants-to-reinvent-recruitment/

Your content is great. However, if any of the content contained herein violates any rights of yours, including those of copyright, please contact us immediately by e-mail at media[@]kissrpr.com.

About

Miami Valley law enforcement agencies receive grants to reinvent recruitment - WDTN.com