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[Patrol Division] [K-9 Unit] [Community Policing] [Juvenile Diversion Program] [House Checks] Greetings from the Chief of Police As the Chief of the New Franklin Police Department, I would like to welcome you to our website. The members of the New Franklin Police Department are dedicated to serve the residents of the City of New Franklin and the Village of Clinton. I believe by forming a partnership with our residents through community policing and other programs, we can meet the needs of all individuals in our community. Please feel free to browse our website. If you have any comments or suggestions to improve our website, or questions regarding our department, please email us at pd@newfranklin.org.
Help Wanted
The New Franklin Police Department has job openings for part-time dispatchers and part-time patrol officers. Applications may be picked up at the Police Department located at 5611 Manchester Road. An Equal Opportunity Employer.
Mission Statement The mission of the New Franklin Police Department is to enforce the laws of the State of Ohio and to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. Our objective is to protect and serve the citizens of the community by promoting citizen involvement in crime reduction efforts, by providing open and honest appraisal by the Police Department of the concerns of the citizens of New Franklin, by training and equipping our officers to enable them to perform their duties and responsibilities in a professional manner, and by holding the employees of this department to the highest standards of ethics, courage, respect, and impartiality. History As the township grew, a need arose for increased police services. In response to this need, the Board of Trustees decided that a separate department should be created as a supplement to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. On November 1, 1976, the Franklin Township Police Department was formed. Jerry Sharrock, a Captain with the Summit County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), was chosen to serve as the Chief of Police. In addition to Chief Sharrock, that first department consisted of one full-time and one reserve police officer. Chief Sharrock led the department until his retirement, in 1990. The Department became the New Franklin Police Department after the merger between Franklin Township and New Franklin Village. In 2006, the City of New Franklin was formed. Rank and File The New Franklin Police Department consists of the Chief of Police, one Lieutenant, one Sergeant, one Corporal, eight full-time officers and ten part-time officers, who are supported by a civilian Administrative Assistant. The department’s members are committed to serving an area of approximately 34 square miles, which includes not only New Franklin, but also the Village of Clinton, with which we have a contract for services. The Patrol Division, headed by Lieutenant Ed Klein, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the uniformed section of the department. They provide the marked police patrol units that are on duty 24 hours per day, in each neighborhood in New Franklin. The Patrol Division handled over 6,000 calls for service, in 2005. Types of calls include motor vehicle accidents, assaults, burglaries, domestic violence, traffic enforcement, residential and commercial alarm drops, criminal trespassing, disturbances, and a variety of other criminal and non-criminal offenses.
Detective Bureau The Detective Bureau, consisting of two detectives, is responsible for handling a variety of matters, which include preparing cases for trial, conducting covert operations, performing background investigations, following up on outstanding warrants, investigating unsolved crimes, recovering stolen property, processing crime scenes, and apprehending offenders. While a portion of their work includes cases involving such things as retail loss (bad checks,) their primary responsibility is for felony investigations. Sgt. Michael Korach is in charge of the Detective Bureau, and is also a member of the county-wide Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T.) team. Dispatch Center The Police Department is complemented by an emergency dispatch center, which is operational twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week. It is the central answering point for all radio transmissions and telephone calls within the office. The civilian dispatchers are responsible for answering 9-1-1 police, fire and EMS emergency calls, as well as calls of a non-emergency nature. Dispatchers utilize state-of-the-art technology to assist them in sending resources to various incidents. All emergency calls for police are directed through the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, which allows the dispatcher to enter, monitor and terminate calls for service, and to direct the safety force response, as well as to keep track of calls being handled, calls pending, units assigned and units available. The Enhanced 9-1-1 screen permits the dispatchers to see the address from which the emergency 9-1-1 call has originated, the phone number at that location, and the resident or business name. This facilitates the call-taking process by eliminating the need for the caller to spell out their name and address, possibly during a panic situation. Information vital to the safety of the officers, is provided by Dispatchers, who utilize the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to track stolen vehicles or weapons; to locate or log missing persons; and to search for, or to enter, felony warrants. Ohio’s Law Enforcement Automated Data System (LEADS) is used to obtain information such as vehicle registrations and driver data. Under the direction of the Dispatch Supervisor, Judy Smith, the dispatch center is staffed by four full-time and three part-time dispatchers. The New Franklin Police Department K-9 Unit has proven to be a great asset to the law enforcement endeavor in New Franklin. The purpose of a professional police canine is to reduce the jeopardy to the police officer and to better enforce the laws of the community. The canine is a psychological deterrent to the lawbreaker, but at the same time, the canine must develop a positive image in the public eye. Although the canine will never replace the police officer, the canine is a unique tool, which enhances law enforcement performance. Statistics have proven that “canines” offer an alternative to deadly force, with less injuries and assaults on police officers. New Franklin’s K-9 Unit is comprised of Lieutenant Ed Klein and his canine partner, “Rebel,” and Officer Jeff Hagen and his canine partner, “Saber.” These German Shepherds are highly trained full-utility K-9 officers with general patrol and narcotics detection certifications. The dogs live with their handlers and the officers’ families. During duty hours, the dogs and their handlers ride in specially equipped patrol vehicles. During 2006, both dogs will be retired and will be replaced with one K-9 officer.
In December of 2002, Rebel was involved in a drug seizure of 84 kilos of cocaine, which was one of the largest drug seizures in Ohio’s history. Good dog! Frequently, our K-9 teams put on demonstrations for our local school children, church pre-schoolers, the Kiwanis Boys and Girls, Cub and Tiger Scouts, as well as the Rotary Club’s Camp Quality USA, a non-profit organization, which provides camping experiences for children with cancer. Children and adults alike are impressed with the obedience, intelligence and skill of the canines, during demonstrations. Also impressive, is the gentleness the canines display when being petted by the young program participants.
The Community Policing Program is a partnership between the residents and the law enforcement agency. It allows the residents to have an interactive role in the policing of their neighborhoods. Officer Hagen is in charge of our Community Policing Program. Over seven different neighborhoods have chosen to participate in our Neighborhood Watch Program, a program which involves citizens working with their local police department, by assisting in the prevention and detection of crime. Residents are trained to recognize suspicious activities and are encouraged to contact the police when something out of the ordinary is observed. Police officers will then respond promptly and will determine if criminal activity is occurring. In addition to teaching residents how to be better witnesses, Neighborhood Watch members are taught various crime prevention tips. Our Senior Watch Program participants receive frequent telephone calls and visits from the Community Policing Officer. In some cases, these individuals have no family members to check on their welfare. The Community Policing Officer provides these senior citizens with a feeling of safety and security. Also, he makes arrangements to get them the help they need. One appreciative Senior Watch participant wrote the following, on March 31, 2003:
You can e-mail your community police officer at pd@newfranklin.org.
School Resource Officer The School Resource Officer is a resource for the administrators, staff, parents and students. The Officer lends assistance with daily problems that occur at the schools, including conflict resolution, truancy and safety issues (violence, drugs, etc.), The students are taught to understand the rules and laws, and the consequences of misbehavior. The Officer also assists in the educational process of students and staff. Students have received instruction on aspects of law, youth violence, drug and alcohol awareness, bullying, and gun safety. One such program is Escape School, a training program which teaches children how to escape from a potentially dangerous stranger. In the near future, we will institute the Street Law Program, which provides practical, participatory education about law, democracy, and human rights. The program enables people to transform democratic ideals into citizen action. The curricula offers classes for students, parents and teachers. The program also encourages career fairs and workshops, speeches by prosecutors or victim service coordinators, job shadowing, and tours of the Summit County Courthouse. The School Resource Officer has carried the philosophy of community policing into the schools. He has been able to create a sense of community ownership of the schools and has been instrumental in maintaining a safe school environment. Through the Stranger Danger Program, children have learned ways to stay safe by being alert and cautious around strangers. Each year, we participate in the Bike Rodeo, a program which teaches bicycle rules and which promotes bicycle safety. Also, frequent discussions are held with local pre-school classes to assist them in feeling more comfortable around police officers and to teach them that police officers are their friends. This program also makes them more aware of a police officers’ duties and responsibilities. We often provide our local school children with coloring
books, key chains, pens, T-shirts, mugs, etc., as a reminder of our
anti-drug message. In partnership with the Summit County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) and Summit County Juvenile Court, the New Franklin Police Department participates in the SCSO Juvenile Diversion Program. After due consideration, it was determined that it would be more fiscally responsible to join with Summit County’s Program, rather than to expend a far greater amount of funds to set up our own program. The Juvenile Diversion Program is a voluntary program that utilizes community based resources and specialized contracts between the juvenile offender, parents/guardian and the SCSO Juvenile Diversion Unit. This program is an alternative to going through the Juvenile Court system and having a juvenile record. If the juvenile completes the program and does not commit any new offenses for two years, his/her record will be expunged. If the juvenile does re-offend while still in the program, he/she is subject to additional sanctions for breaking his/her contract. Or, he/she may be terminated from the program, depending on the nature of the offense committed. The Juvenile Diversion Program is designed to work with first time juvenile offenders who have committed misdemeanor offenses only. The Diversion Unit personnel will make the determination on an individual basis, regarding the juvenile’s eligibility. Some of the reasons for not accepting a juvenile into the program would be if there were a need for extensive psychological counseling, or drug and alcohol treatment and counseling. If the juvenile is not accepted into the Diversion Program, he/she will be referred to Juvenile Court. It has been documented throughout the country that this program is successful because it is designed to hold juvenile offenders accountable for the crimes they have committed, to prevent future offenses, and to provide intervention services. More importantly, the offenders give back to the community in the form of community service and/or restitution. For this program to work in the life of the juvenile, it is imperative that both youths and parents are aware of the process and procedures of the program.
The police department will check your house while you are away on vacation for any length of time. To arrange for this service, please stop by the police department so that we can obtain the necessary information from you. Please be prepared to provide your:
Fingerprinting We will fingerprint the children of City residents, at no cost, which can serve as a vital tool for their protection. If you are required to submit a fingerprint card
as part of a job application or a background check, or to accompany
adoption or citizenship paperwork, we will provide this service to you
free of charge, if you are a resident of New Franklin. For non-residents,
a $20.00 fee is applicable.
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