News
Budget Not Approved, But Hiring Planned At OUPD
By: Susan Tebben | The Athens Messenger
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While the budget has not been approved yet to bring in five new officers at the Ohio University Police Department, Chief Andrew Powers is optimistic about the possibility of enhancing his department.
The OU Board of Trustees discussed the new budget which would include monies for the police department at their last meeting, but a vote on the funding isn’t scheduled until its June meeting.
The Board will likely hold forums on campus to ask the community about the budget before they make their final decision, Powers said.
Still, a job posting for a pool of applicants was posted March 1 on the OU jobs website, asking for police officers to apply to be a part of the university department.
The applicants are required to take fitness and written testing which starts May 10, according to the job listing.
“This testing is just to create an eligibility list to choose from,” Powers said. “The list is active for one year, so we can have a list ready when we are ready to start hiring.”
If the funding is approved, the vacancies can be filled from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
The posting on the website has already garnered about the same interest as other hiring years, Powers said.
“The last couple of years we’ve hit around 250 (applicants), but not all show up for the test and obviously not all of those who show up pass,” Powers said. “We had more than 100 people at the end of March so we’re on track with where we’ve been in the past.”
Certification by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy is required for the job, but those that don’t have a copy of the certification by the time their testing date comes around will have to take a physical test along with the written exam.
Uncertified recruits are paid $18.53 per hour while attending basic academy training. Starting pay for certified officers ranges from $21.81 per hour to $26.49 per hour.