HANCOCK COUNTY — If he’s asked to put on a full uniform to work at the county fair, as he did last week; or provide security at a wedding, as he did over the weekend, Michael Hurst is getting as much experience as a reserve sheriff’s deputy as he can.
It’s all part of the process of proving himself, Hurst said. The county resident is making his way through the hiring process to become a full-time merit deputy for the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department.
Hurst is one of dozens of applicants who have recently applied to fill one of three current openings at the sheriff’s department. From physical agility tests to mental screenings, the hiring process is intense, and the vast majority of candidates don’t make it this far.
While some may wonder why anyone would want to become a law enforcement officer in a climate in which policing is under intense scrutiny, Hurst says becoming a full-time deputy is something he feels called to do.
That might be bucking a trend.
According to a report last week on National Public Radio, a recent survey of nearly 200 police departments by the Police Executive Research Forum reported an increase of 45% in the number of retirements and a nearly 20% increase in the number of resignations from police forces in 2020-21 compared to the previous year.
Overall, new police hiring has dropped 5%, the organization reported.
Almost every police agency in the county has recently sought out new recruits to fill openings.
Hurst, 30, is among those who want their shot.
The Knightstown High School grad took a job with for the city of Greenfield at the wastewater treatment facility, where he became certified in all operations. It’s a place where he’s prospered for 10 years. Four years ago, Hurst and his wife, Cynthia, discussed him chasing the idea of becoming a full-time sheriff’s deputy, so he signed on as a reserve to test the waters.
“When my daughter was born four years ago, I wanted to do something for her to show her the meaning of community service,” Hurst said. “This is a dream I’ve had that developed sort of later when I became an adult.”
Capt. Robert Harris, public information officer for the sheriff’s department, said recruiting qualified officers is hard to do. Finding quality candidates is a nationwide issue, Harris said. It’s why they’re glad to get people like Hurst who will really want to serve.
“We hear a consistent message from our counterparts at numerous other agencies that they are also experiencing issues attracting quality candidates,” Harris said.
Agencies are exploring methods to attract candidates including incentives like pay raises, tuition reimbursement and more. Just last week, the Greenfield City Council approved $4,500 raises for its police officers. Sheriff’s deputies likely will get raises soon.
In the past, some departments have actually lowered standards to allow more candidates to qualify as applicants. Traditionally, Harris said this doesn’t work out well in the long run, for the department or the community.
The recruiting process to become a merit deputy is lengthy and takes several months to complete. Hurst has already passed the physical portion of the test, which took place in May. He’s waiting to hear back on the written evaluation, an exam that took several hours after a two-hour study session the day of the exam.
He’ll also have to fill out an application, a process that can take several hours, with recruits being given two weeks to return the paperwork.
“They’ll give us a package, a pretty substantial deal,” Hurst said. “After that we’ll have a background check and interviews with different deputies, an interview board; not your typical interview.”
Hurst won’t learn until late August or early September if he will be accepted.
“Among the people applying, it’s super competitive, and there are a lot of good candidates for the three spots,” Hurst said. “Even though I’m a reserve, there is no favoritism shown.”
Hurst was going to apply for an open deputy position 2½ years ago, but he hurt his shoulder and had to have surgery, so he missed the physical agility part of the process. That made this time around even more important to him.
Due to the fact he already has a good job, some have asked Hurst why he is putting himself through a strenuous hiring process, particularly at a time when the profession has taken some hits. It’s a question he easily answers: His skill set and approach to the the job of law enforcement make him suited to be a full-time deputy.
“All the negativity surrounding police, it almost makes me want to become a full-time deputy even more,” Hurst said. “I know I can make a positive impact on this community and do positive things with people.”
The community is supportive of law enforcement, Hurst noted, and that’s a plus.
Harris noted that traditionally, people who enter law enforcement usually say it’s a calling.
“Most career police officers are internally driven by a desire to help others and the community,” Harris said. “It appears most candidates know what they are getting into because we rarely see officers leave the career field within the first year of employment.”
In today’s climate, lately, they’re seeing officers leave after five to seven years to pursue other, unrelated careers. Additionally, they’re seeing officers at the end of their careers retiring when, under better circumstances, they may have continued to work for several more years.
Hurst likes the variety of opportunities and tasks that come with being a deputy and is hoping to be a part of the department for years to come.
“I’m definitely not made to sit behind a desk every day,” Hurst said. “The variety that comes with the job from helping someone change a tire to helping out in a domestic issue, there is just a huge range of things you get to be able to do and interact with people.”
Hurst also likes the idea of stopping crime, getting after people who set out to do harm.
People like Hurst are exactly the kind officials with the Sheriff’s Department are looking for to serve the community, Harris said, because they’re the type of people who want to help all citizens and get involved. In Hurst’s case he’s got real life work experience and knowledge of the community which officials said is a plus.
“We need a very diverse group of people to serve our diverse community,” Harris said. “Additionally, officers from various backgrounds and experiences bring different points of view to the table.”
That, Harris said is something that is needed in law enforcement and public service, having officers who are tasked to think outside the box more frequently to solve problems.
“The more viewpoints we have to help think of solutions, the better,” Harris said.
If Hurst is selected for a deputy spot, he’ll then have to go through the 16-week Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield and more local training, something he hopes to get the chance to do, he said.
“It’s so odd because you always hear about the defunding of police and what they need to do is give more money for training,” Hurst said. “If you take money away, you can’t really train an officer how we should act in situations and that’s what creates problems.”
