City leaders can move ahead with hiring more police officers after the Bellefontaine City Council approved an agreement with Mary Rutan Hospital to provide around-the-clock police coverage.
The deal will be implemented in phases as the Bellefontaine Police Department works through its current eligibility list of seven candidates and prepares for another civil service test May 21.
Once complete, MRH will cover the annual salaries for five officers plus their equipment costs and another police cruiser.
The annual cost for each officer is about $75,000 to start.
“The cruiser will be rotated into our fleet,” Police Chief Brandon Standley said during the Finance Committee meeting prior to the regular Tuesday council meeting. “It is a great benefit to us.”
The new officers also will be rotated into shifts to allow officers to be at the hospital or patrolling outlying hospital grounds.
MRH officials are phasing out a private security contract. They believe the presence of a law officer is a better deterrent and improves security for patients, visitors and staff.
The agreement was signed at the end of the council meeting.
Read complete COUNCIL NEWS in Wednesday’s Examiner.
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