By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
Delta Police Department Chief Nathan Hartsock announced during a Delta Village Council executive session that he is resigning, on the heels of reporting one part-time and one full-time officer are also resigning from the department.
Both Hartsock and the full-time officer (the department’s most recent hire) accepted full-time positions with the Wauseon Police Department.
The full-time officer had already been working for the Wauseon department on a part-time basis, while Hartsock has been hired as its new assistant chief.
Hartsock, whose last day at the Delta department will be July 16, said he was approached by the Wauseon department about his new position there.
He said the challenges faced by Delta are part and parcel for law enforcement these days.
“It’s not unusual for this entire county. Every agency in this county is short staffed,” he said. “This time in law enforcement is unprecedented.”
“There are people going everywhere, and it’s for a couple dollars more here, a few dollars more there, ‘We’re going to offer you lateral transfer, bring your stuff in.'”
According to Hartsock, Delta does not have a lateral transfer policy, which is one thing he has presented to the village as an option to try to stay competitive with other departments for staffing.
Unlike the Wauseon department as well as the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, the Delta Police Department is not part of a union, which also puts it at a disadvantage.
“I have had an open position for a full-time police officer for about a year and a half. We’ve had two applications – one person was unemployable, just too much in his background, and the other one’s turned me down because of our pay scale.”
Because of the department’s non-union status and the timing of pay scale determinations, Hartsock said, they are always trying to play catch up with other departments which pay more.
“That’s where we’re losing people, it’s crazy,” he said.
The part-time officer who resigned – a prior full-time Delta officer – accepted a position in Steuben County, Indiana.
Jesse can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
