Circleville Police Chief Kenny Fisher recently provided an update on the department’s status. The department is facing staffing challenges, with 14 vacancies, including 9 police officer positions and 2 upper-level command staff positions. Currently, there are 9 officers working on the road, which affects productivity.
Staffing and Productivity
The department has had all supervisors complete leadership training, and Chief Fisher has completed command staff training with Northwestern. Despite running 9,444 calls for service year-to-date, the lack of manpower has impacted productivity. The department is 7 officers short of last year’s staffing levels.
Hiring and Recruitment
The department has interviewed a dispatcher candidate and extended a conditional offer. However, recruiting police officers is challenging due to competition from other agencies offering higher pay. There are several cadet applicants in the pipeline, but no full-time sworn applicants.
Community Events
The department is hosting its yearly National Night Out event on August 5 at Ted Lewis Park, featuring food trucks, a DJ, bounce houses, a touch truck, a helicopter, and a canine demo.
The department continues to work on addressing staffing challenges and serving the community.
