PATASKALA, Ohio — The Pataskala Police Department says without the approval of a ballot issue next month, more and more officers are likely to leave the force.
“First and foremost, we don’t have enough officers,” Pataskala Chief Deputy Michael Boals said.
Boals says full staff is 23 officers, a number the department hasn’t seen since January of 2020. Since 1996, Pataskala PD has employed 74 full-time officers.
“So that should give you an idea the amount of turnover that we’ve had,” Boals said.
Currently, Pataskala PD has about 2 officers per shift covering almost 30 square miles, or 143 road miles.
Boals says that doesn’t cut it.
“That just doesn’t get it done,” he said. “It makes us reactive and takes away our ability to be proactive and try to get to some things before they become a problem.”
It’s a competitive field: recruiting, training and, most of all, pay. Pataskala has the lowest hourly rate of pay in Licking County, which means even though they’re training officers a high turnover rate and low pay means Pataskala PD training is setting officers up nicely for other jobs.
“[It’s] extremely aggravating,” Boals said. “Especially because when you look at the time that we have invested in these individuals to get them hired and trained. You’re literally looking at a seven-month turnaround to hire a new officer.”
In 1996 Pataskala’s population was 9,000. In 2021, it’s 18,000. In ’96 there were 20 officers. Today, there are 22.
In November, Pataskala will vote on a 1.5% income tax. If passed, it would up hourly rates, bring on six new officers and equip them with gear, cruisers and computers. A similar measure failed in March of 2020 by about a 60 to 40 percent vote.
The current income tax has been set at 1% for the last 10 years.
Now, 20 months removed, the department prepares to go back to the polls knowing without these changes officers will likely continue to leave and services to the people who live here will be on the line.
The city of Pataskala is offering one-on-one conversations with anyone who might have questions about the ballot issue. You can call 740-789-6992 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. to have your questions answered.