MONROE - Three applicants have been chosen by the Monroe Police Department to replace departing officers, and, if offers are accepted, the new officers will begin around Nov. 14.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said Tuesday that during an hours-long Board of Police and Fire Commissioners meeting on Monday, four applicants were interviewed by members of the commission to replace three officers who have left since June. Originally, the department received 58 applications. The four interviewed were ranked in order of criteria such as ability and experience. The top three on the list were offered positions as officers in the department.
Jeremy L. Larson, 33, an officer of the Oregon Police Department in Wisconsin, was one of the applicants chosen. Diedrik J. Hellenbrand, 28, an officer who has been working with the Wisconsin Dells Police Department, and Benjamin J. Preston, a community services officer with the Whitefish Bay Police Department, were given offers as well.
"It's always exciting to have new staff," Kelley said. "Though the training process is long."
Kelley added that the job of officer, if accepted, requires 18 months of probation with 14 weeks of supervised field training. The offers are conditional upon the applicant fulfilling medical requirements.
Kelley said a tentative start date for the new hires will be Nov. 14, when officers will begin their field training. Each of the potential new hires has already completed their police academy training, he added. The department has seen a decline in applicants since 2012, the last time the department hired new officers, when they had 140.
Kelley noted recently that though there is an application shortfall, it has not affected police operations. With the addition of three replacement officers, Kelley said the force would be "back up to full strength" of 26 sworn officers.
Monroe Police Chief Fred Kelley said Tuesday that during an hours-long Board of Police and Fire Commissioners meeting on Monday, four applicants were interviewed by members of the commission to replace three officers who have left since June. Originally, the department received 58 applications. The four interviewed were ranked in order of criteria such as ability and experience. The top three on the list were offered positions as officers in the department.
Jeremy L. Larson, 33, an officer of the Oregon Police Department in Wisconsin, was one of the applicants chosen. Diedrik J. Hellenbrand, 28, an officer who has been working with the Wisconsin Dells Police Department, and Benjamin J. Preston, a community services officer with the Whitefish Bay Police Department, were given offers as well.
"It's always exciting to have new staff," Kelley said. "Though the training process is long."
Kelley added that the job of officer, if accepted, requires 18 months of probation with 14 weeks of supervised field training. The offers are conditional upon the applicant fulfilling medical requirements.
Kelley said a tentative start date for the new hires will be Nov. 14, when officers will begin their field training. Each of the potential new hires has already completed their police academy training, he added. The department has seen a decline in applicants since 2012, the last time the department hired new officers, when they had 140.
Kelley noted recently that though there is an application shortfall, it has not affected police operations. With the addition of three replacement officers, Kelley said the force would be "back up to full strength" of 26 sworn officers.