The Oxford Police Department (OPD) has promoted two patrol officers to the positions of sergeant to fill existing vacancies.
Sgt. Dennis Colyer was sworn in by the Oxford City Council earlier this month, while Officer Peter Reising will stand before the city council in early April to accept his position, according to OPD's Sgt. Jim Squance.
Colyer and Reising were chosen by Butler County Chiefs of Police after a written exam and several oral interviews. The two were chosen out of seven patrol officers who applied for the positions, Squance said.
"These two officers bring a vast amount of field experience in Oxford," Squance said. "Both have over 20 years experience in Oxford, so they know how to police this particular area."
Colyer was unavailable for comment.
Reising has been at OPD since his graduation from the Ohio State Patrol Academy in 1986, he said. Though finishing his four-year degree in criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati, Reising said he completed part of his undergraduate degree at Miami University. Reising said that the criteria for qualifying for the sergeant position was intensive and rigorous, but that every step was necessary for the department to get a feel for the right officer.
"(The Civil Service test) gives the people I work with a better opportunity to give insight as to my abilities," Reising said. "They measure us against each other to see who would be best for the job."
Reising said that in his 21 years at OPD, he has participated in detective work, handled a narcotics canine unit, is a member of the Special Response Team and rode with the bike squad. He said his most thrilling arrest came after a felonious traffic stop with a group of men from Somerville, Ohio. Reising said the men were involved in the murder of another male in Somerville a few minutes before his stop, which ended in the discovery of cocaine.
"The more experience you have, the more tools you have to show the younger officers on the force how to patrol," Reising said.
Squance said that a sergeant is a middle management position and that OPD has six sergeant positions at the station. Three are reserved for shift managers, Squance said, but the other three manage communications, detectives and public information respectively.
As the public information officer, Squance said that the criteria for attaining the position can be "quite the process."
Despite the additions of Colyer and Reising to OPD, Squance said they are part of a long-term transition for the station.
"Its very important that we go through such a rigorous process to choose these positions," Squance said. "We are a changing department, some of the older officers will be retiring soon. We are looking at (Colyer and Reising) to show guidance to the young officers in the department to fall on when we retire."
