SIDNEY — The Sidney Police Department, like so many law enforcement agencies these days, is looking for quality candidates to fill our ranks. Currently, the city of Sidney and the Sidney Police Department are offering a competitive Civil Service Examination Process in an effort to find quality candidates looking to serve the Sidney community.

“Law enforcement is still an honorable profession. The old adage of “serve and protect” still applies, and it requires a person who has “heart” — serving their fellow citizens as a servant-leader are the traits necessary to serve in this profession. Every community has issues and the City of Sidney is not immune to problems within society which directly affect the quality of life in our neighborhoods. In order to address quality of life issues the Sidney community requires us to recruit, select, and hire “the best” for our agency. We’re looking for those individuals who want to assist us in moving your police department forward in a positive way, bringing with them the skills, knowledge, and abilities to make the City of Sidney a great place to live, work, and play. And if you possess those traits and want to make a positive difference, then come join our team,” wrote Sidney Police Chief Mark McDonough.

What is the SPD all about?

The Sidney Police Department is a full-service department that delivers a wide range of professional law enforcement services to the citizens, business community and visitors. The department adapts to the ever-changing challenges in society to provide the services the community deems important. As an Ohio Collaborative Community-Police Advisory Board certified agency, the department subscribes to policies and procedures that are considered “best practices” in law enforcement. SPD meets or exceeds these standards. To view the Collaborative Standards, review the following website: https://ocjs.ohio.gov/law-enforcement-services/ohio-collaborative-community-police-advisory-board/state-of-ohio-standards-for-law-enforcement.

“Our vision is to exceed our community’s expectations by working in partnership with our neighbors and organizations to make Sidney a great place to live, work, and play,” wrote McDonough.

How can the department better serve you?

Over the course of the next few months, SPD looks to hire not only great servant-leader officers, but they will also be taking a critical look at the agency infrastructure to place current staff members into new levels of responsibility. They will be focusing on making the Sidney Police Department a “Premier Agency,” for its size, in western Ohio.

“This is the promise I made to the Sidney city manager, mayor, council and the Sidney community upon my appointment as Chief of Police,” said McDonough.

SPD staff will be working on strategies to provide more efficient and effective services to the public. Community engagement is high on the list of services provided by the department. Currently, they have several community members attending the Citizen’s Police Academy, who are receiving a unique, inside view of their police department. The department has a Public Safety Cadet Program (for those ages 14-20) giving the youth in Sidney an opportunity to participate in law enforcement scenarios and discovery if a career in law enforcement is what they aspire to do. They do offer a patrol ride-along program, which is an opportunity to meet with officers and see an exclusive view of what policing is like in modern society. More community engagement programs will become available as SPD gains strength in our officer ranks.

SPD is also looking to increase hands-on, scenario-based training for new and veteran officers. Training SPD officers has always been a priority — the department will continue to utilize the instructional gifts and talents of officers and those within law enforcement circles to increase the collective knowledge base in order to better serve the Sidney community. The department will continue to train our support staff to continue to provide the customer service the community deserves.

What’s it take to be a Sidney Police Officer?

Like all good professions, there is a process for getting through the front door. The criterion to enter into the Civil Service Examination process consists of the following:

Qualifications – applicants must be between the ages of 20 by deadline and appointed by age 35 and be a U.S. Citizen or authorized to work in the U.S. They must possess a High School diploma or GED equivalent and successfully pass civil service entrance examination and selection process, which includes, interviews, background inquiries, physical examination, polygraph testing, psychological profile and physical fitness testing. Applicants mucst also successfully complete the basic law enforcement training as assigned by the department, or possess an OPOTA Basic Peace Officer Certification and possess a valid driver’s license.

Application Process:

Currently, the city of Sidney is accepting applications for police officer. An application packet can be obtained at the Sidney City Offices, 201 W. Poplar St., or online at https://www.sidneyoh.com/Jobs.aspx?UniqueId=99&From=All&CommunityJobs=False&JobID=Police-Officer-122. Check out the “Job Details” located on the right-hand side of the page. It lists the application packet and additional information and documentation for the position. This is a great starting point for SPD applicants. The deadline to complete the application process is April 24, 2023.

What’s it like being a Sidney Police Officer?

The department has a patrol section, an investigative section, a community resource section and a communications section. They are supported by a records department and additional civilian staff members. The department provides opportunities to its officers for additional duties, such as traffic crash Reconstructionist, member of the tactical response team, hostage negotiations team, bike patrol unit, evidence technician, firearms range instructor or defensive tactics instructor.

Newly-hired police officers must complete a Field Training Program, where the new officer is trained by a veteran Sidney police officer. The Field Training Program is usually three months before the officer is assigned to solo patrol duties. During this time, the Field Training Officer provides direct training and supervision to the new officer to ensure they perform according to federal, state and local laws, and City and agency policies and procedures.

Training doesn’t stop after the officer graduates from the Field Training Program. Each officer receives annual training in accordance with federal law, the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission, the Ohio Collaborative, City-mandated training and agency-specific training.

“We want our officers to be the best trained — an area of policing that society continues to demand of its officers,” McDonough wrote.

Job Requirements:

• Operate department vehicles safely.

• Maintain certification to operate equipment, including but not limited to alcohol testing devices, and speed detection devices.

• Operate equipment as assigned by the department.

• Pass all initial and annual firearms qualifications.

• Ability to use sound judgment and make good decisions when handling calls.

• Maintain a level of physical fitness required for the job.

Need more information?

Check out the SPD website for additional information: www.sidneyoh.com/192/Police.

For recruiting questions, please email Sgt. Christopher Burmeister at [email protected], or city of Sidney Human Resources Director Kelly Holthaus, at [email protected].

For information concerning the Patrol Ride-Along Program, please review the website for additional information: https://www.sidneyoh.com/494/Ride-Along-Program.

If you are ready to accept the challenges and opportunities to serve the Sidney community as a member of a professional police agency, then take the next steps and join the SPD.

“This community needs servant-leaders who are ready to make a positive difference as a member of the next premier law enforcement agency in Ohio,” wrote McDonough.

The Sidney Daily News conducts a periodic interview to update readers with news from the Sidney Police Department, 234 W. Court St., Sidney.