Franklin County Sheriff's Office waiving testing for some deputy applicants

The Franklin County Sheriff's Office is hoping to streamline the process to become a deputy by eliminating a testing requirement for some applicants.

Sheriff Dallas Baldwin said the department is now offering a waiver for U.S. military and current law enforcement officers who want to become deputies with his office. The waiver exempts the applicant from testing through the National Testing Network, which conducts testing for law enforcement agencies across the country.

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To apply for the exemption, an applicant to the county sheriff's office must have at least three years, equivalent to 1,095 days, of military service with an honorable discharge in any of the branches of service, or the full-time equivalent of three years in the United States Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Coast Guard Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve or Navy Reserve.

Exemptions are also available for those with at least three years of current law enforcement experience. The officer must be in good standing and currently employed by a county, parish or borough sheriff or a state or municipal police department. Those who work for village or township police agencies or other police departments that don't fall into one of those categories are not able to exempt the testing requirement, but are still eligible for lateral hiring.

If the exemption is granted, the applicant would move directly to a pre-employment physical assessment and would still be required to pass all other stages of the hiring process, including a background check and drug test.

Franklin County Sheriff's Major Levente Berry said the decision was strategic, and "a testament to our appreciation for the valuable skills and training possessed by these individuals, which are directly transferrable" to being a deputy.

Waiving the testing requirement allows the application process to be streamlined and sped up for some applicants, particularly as law enforcement agencies across the country struggle to find enough qualified applicants to become police officers or deputies, Berry said.

"We firmly believe that this change will attract a pool of highly qualified individuals who possess the necessary expertise, dedication and leadership qualities required to serve our community effectively," Berry said.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Franklin County Sheriff ends testing for some deputy applicants