MEDINA, Ohio — The Medina County Sheriff's Office received a state grant to hire six new deputies. Now the work begins to find people willing to take the jobs during a time when law enforcement positions are hard to fill.
The funding is part the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program. Last week, Governor Mike Dewine announce he was increasing the fund to law enforcement from $58 million to $100 million.
The plan by the MCSO is to assign three deputies to the courthouse. A new courthouse is under construction. Another deputy would be assigned to the transport division to make up for a reduction in this area during the pandemic and to help with the increase in transport. The other two deputies would be part of the road patrol.
Nicole Embury is a school resource and D.A.R.E officer with the Highland School District. She was hired as a Medina County deputy a few months ago after she relocated from South Dakota with her husband.
Embury said it has been a great fit and a welcoming environment, but she's also keenly aware of the reluctance by many to join the law enforcement field in general.
"When I first joined law enforcement, it was about 400 to 500 people applying for one to two spots and now it's not the case. I think a lot of people are afraid maybe of the scrutiny or kind of some of the backlash that faces law enforcement," Embury said.
Captain Kevin Ross said in early 2021, 77 people took a test to become Medina County deputies, but earlier this year, only 25 people took that test.
"The numbers have gone down, so it's harder and harder to find recruits to come in and be in law enforcement," Ross said.
The grant is also paying for a recruitment video. Like many other law enforcement agencies, the Medina County Sheriff's Office is casting a wider net looking for potential hires in other states.
"We're not afraid to hire people that don't have the academy. We're going to bring them in and put them through an academy and we're not afraid to go outside of the state. We're actually in the process of interviewing somebody that's from Georgia," Ross said.
Ross added the sheriff's office is also considering officers from other departments known as lateral candidates. Those candidates would not need to take a written test, but a physical test is required.
The grant will fund the salaries and benefits for the six new deputies for two years, but then the county will foot the bill.
Embury said the move was right for her and she hopes anyone considering a career in law enforcement will give it a chance.
"I think it's wonderful that we're trying to get either people with law enforcement experience—don't have law enforcement experience— it's a great place to be at."
