OSHP seeks 200 new recruits

The Highland County Press

The "Help Wanted" sign is on at the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Trooper and OSHP Recruiter Rick Hughes told The Highland County Press this week the patrol is looking for as many as 200 new recruits in Ohio.

Hughes represents a 20-county district that includes Highland County, as well as Darke, Shelby, Champaign, Miami, Clark, Preble, Montgomery, Fayette, Greene, Butler, Warren, Clinton, Clermont, Brown, Adams, Pike, Scioto, Jackson and Lawrence counties.

The recruitment process, leading to acceptance into the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy, takes 61 days. The academy is a 20-week program, with a starting pay of $18.66. Ohio state troopers earn approximately $50,000 a year to start.

Founded in 1933, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is a statewide law enforcement agency charged with the responsibility of enforcing traffic and criminal laws on public roadways and on state-owned or leased property within Ohio.

The Patrol is also responsible for vehicle inspections, school bus inspections, commercial vehicle weigh stations, conducting aircraft and vehicle crash investigations, and providing security for state facilities.

"We are actively looking for 200 qualified applicants," Hughes said. "We offer a competitive benefits package. We have a new streamlined recruitment process that takes only 61 days."

Hughes said the OSHP has lost a number of troopers to recent retirements and that the Patrol is actively seeking candidates from southern Ohio.

"The current recruitment process has changed," Hughes noted. "If you think you would like to be a trooper for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, go to our website (www.statepatrol.ohio.gov). Once you are there, you will click on the Recruitment tab. Second, you will click on the Application Process.

"You will see seven steps starting with application checklist. Scroll down, and you will see the six items in the checklist that you must complete prior to contacting a recruiter. Start these steps right away and complete them as soon as possible. You may be eligible for the next Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy Class."

Once you have completed the checklist, contact Hughes via e-mail at rdhughes@dps.state.oh.us or by telephone at (614) 800-7246.

The next step is the physical fitness and written exam. The recruiter will set up a testing date and time at the local Patrol Post level. You must be able to reach the minimum requirements listed on the website.

Troopers also are expected to live by core moral values, Hughes said.

The core values of the Highway Patrol are:

• Honesty – The single most reliable mark of a trooper's value is to be able to admit when he/she is wrong and go forward.

• Sense of Urgency – Troopers realize the importance of prompt response to crashes and calls for service.

• Attention to Detail – If it is worth doing, it's worth doing thoroughly. Attention to detail is the mark of a good public servant.

• Team Oriented – Members of the Patrol and members of the law enforcement community in general are a team, of which the individual components are not as valuable as the whole.

• Professionalism – Being professional means being punctual, courteous, prepared, and well-groomed. It also means having and showing respect for every person a trooper encounters.

• Adaptability – Troopers must maintain flexibility with a high degree of performance. A trooper's job is never the same from one day to the next – a trooper must be able to make changes and still perform the job to the highest degree.

• Self-Discipline – or stated another way, Accountability. Every trooper must recognize what job needs to be done, and then do that job well. Law enforcement officers have a responsibility to those they serve to be accountable for their actions.

• Performance Driven – Being performance driven means working hard. Troopers are driven to perform because success is measured in both quantity and quality. We are constantly reminded of our department mission...to save lives, reduce injuries and economic losses on the streets and highways of Ohio.

• Officer Safety – It is imperative this core value be instilled in our troopers. They must maintain a high level of awareness in every situation.

"This isn't just a job, it's a career," Hughes said. "The pay is good, there are excellent benefits, and the State Patrol is like a family."

The Patrol will be having a class in September, November, and one in the spring of 2013. They are an equal opportunity employer.

Hughes pointed out that the OSHP employs more than highway patrol troopers.

The Patrol trains and maintains a number of officers in specialized law enforcement positions. Among these are: plain-clothes investigators, traffic and drug interdiction teams and canine officers, commercial enforcement coordinators, inspectors, and crash reconstructionists. The Patrol also maintains a special response team, comprised of troopers who are specially trained in weapons and chemical agent use, extraction techniques, and rapid response methods.

For more information, go to http://statepatrol.ohio.gov or contact Trooper Hughes at rdhughes@dps.state.oh.us or (614) 800-7246.