Police department looking to raise age range for hiring new recruits

MORAINE — A Montgomery County community is working to raise the age for first-time police officers.

A proposed ordinance in Moraine would allow the Moraine Police Department to hire first-time law enforcement from age 35 to 50 years old. Currently, Ohio law says the hiring range for new recruits is 21 to 35.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 5:00, Aaron Vietor, a spokesperson for the city, said police are not aiming to hire older people but the ordinance would widen the pool of applicants.

Residents News Center 7s Malik Patterson spoke to on Thursday were split on the possible change. Some, like Chris Nelson, raised concerns.

“I don’t know, I think age 50 would be a little hard on the gentlemen,” Chris Nelson said.

Others, such as Philizia Millerton, prefer to have “older or more seasoned policemen patrolling the city.”

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“They’re more mature. They have a lot. They’ve done a lot of life experiences,” she said. “When you’re immature, you might not make the right decision at the right time.”

News Center 7 also called the City of Springfield’s human resource department. They said that since this past fall, they have extended the age limit to obtain more recruits.

As for Moraine, the police department is still working to become fully staffed. A big focus is to keep the people they hire.

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