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Ashland police almost back up to full strength By Morgan Rothborne Updated: Oct 12, 2022 04:22 PM A A New Ashland police officers, from left, Chance Evertt, Jeremiah Emershy and Brian Greidanus were sworn in July 28. [Ashland Police Department photo] New Ashland police Officer Francesca Harriss is sworn in Oct. 3 by City Manager Joe Lessard as Ashland police Chief Tighe O’Meara looks on. [Ashland Police Department photo] After seeing its ranks dwindle in recent months, Ashland Police Department is approaching full strength. Due to budget woes, Ashland instituted a hiring freeze last spring. Early this summer, the freeze was lifted for Ashland police, and four officers have been sworn in over the past four months, according to Ashland police Chief Tighe O’Meara. “Some people left the field altogether; some people left to go to other agencies, so we had gotten down to about 20 (officers), and now we’re working our way back up to 28,” he said. One was a returning officer, who was able to contribute to the workforce immediately, while the other three are working their way through the police academy. A deputy chief position is open and will be filled through a recruiting firm, O’Meara said. Another new recruit is close to being hired, and one candidate is going through the background check process. The department also has two open sergeant positions that O’Meara said he hopes to fill through lateral hiring. If those in the police academy make it through, and those in the pipeline are hired, the force would back up to full strength, he said. Three new officers were sworn in July 28, including Officer Brian Greidanus, who returned after trying out big-city policing in Las Vegas, O’Meara said. Officers Jeremiah Emershy and Chance Evertt came over from the Southern Oregon University campus public safety force and are going through police academy alongside new hire Francesca Harriss. Harriss, who came to Ashland from the U.S. Forest Service, was sworn in Oct. 3. Hiring police officers can be challenging, O’Meara said. Police departments need to be selective, and background checks are and must be extensive. “We get all up into everybody’s business, talk to people, fly all over the country to talk to people face to face — all sorts of stuff,” he said. Over the past few years, anti-police sentiment and vilifying officers reached such a high pitch that police departments struggled to find new recruits, he said, adding he’s optimistic those hard feelings are softening. “The anti-police momentum is a lot less than it was a year ago,” he said. “I think entry-level candidates are going to start to improve a little bit.” Ashland Police Department has its own unique challenges, he said. Over the past couple of years, several seasoned officers left to pursue other careers. In general, Ashland struggles to hold onto officers because other departments can offer more flash, which O’Meara referred to as specialties. “We’re always losing people to the sheriff’s office or the Medford police,” he said. “The sheriff’s office, for example, they have marine patrol, search and rescue, marijuana detectives making big illegal busts. We don’t have those opportunities for people to get into those kind of specialties here.” “If people just want to write speeding tickets, arrest drunk drivers and investigate traffic crashes, they should go work for the state police. If somebody wants to be a marine officer, they can go work for the county. If somebody wants to be part of a police department that feels very strongly about being progressive and finding bigger and better ways to engage with the community — the Ashland Police Department might be the spot for them,” he said. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected] or 541-776-4487. Follow her on Twitter @MRothborne.