MANSFIELD — Two new members joined the Mansfield Police Department Monday during a swearing-in ceremony in the City Council chambers.
Joseph C. Sabo and Michael C. Nelson will begin their probationary officer duties and report to the North Central State Police Academy for basic peace officer training starting Aug. 21.
Mansfield police Chief Keith Porch said it’s a long process to reach an official swearing-in ceremony and commended both Sabo and Nelson for their efforts.
“Clearly these two have met the challenges every step of the way,” Porch said. “It is long, daunting and when you stand up here, you earn the right to be here.”
Assistant Chief Jason Bammann spoke highly of the two new officers.
“I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you (Sabo and Nelson) if we didn’t think you were the right two for these spots,” Bammann said.
Porch said that once they finish the academy, Sabo and Nelson will come back to the department to begin field training, a 14- to 16-week process. He anticipates the pair will become solo officers in the department by the middle of 2024.
Sabo, born and raised in New Philadelphia, moved to Mansfield in 2018, which is when he said he fell in love with the community.
Prior to his latest venture, Sabo was an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force for nine years, which eventually led him to the Ohio National Guard 179th Airlift Wing in Mansfield, serving as an aircraft mechanic.
When asked what inspired him to join law enforcement, Sabo said he felt compelled to keep serving.
“I felt like it was the honorable thing to do,” he said. “Hopefully I can make a good impression on people’s lives.”
In addition to law enforcement, Sabo plans to build on his service as a firefighter for the 179th, where he’s working toward earning his Firefighter II Certification.
Nelson, a 2016 Ontario High School graduate, said he wants to help make a difference and give back to his community.
“That’s just kind of who I am,” Nelson said. “I like to help people out and help keep people safe.”
Nelson has spent the last two and a half years working at the Richland Correctional Institution in Mansfield.
He said several friends are entering the Ohio State Highway Patrol and others are already members of the Mansfield Police Department.
“It’s been an exciting journey and it’s definitely been a long one,” Nelson said. “I’m glad I made this choice.”
Monday was an all-around big day for Nelson’s family. His sister, Gillian Van Tilburg, had her first day as a deputy sheriff at the Richland County Sheriff’s Office.
Nelson said he was full of pride getting to swear-in on the same day his sister began her law enforcement journey.
The Mansfield Police Department has faced staffing struggles over the past couple of years, including strong officer recruitment by neighboring departments in Wayne County and the City of Wooster.
Porch said decreased staffing levels have required the department’s full effort, along with boosting their recruitment efforts.
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As of Monday, the department had 78 sworn officers, but it’s budgeted for 87. Porch said adding two new officers is a step in the right direction, but it’s still not where the department wants to be overall with staffing levels.
In March 2022, Mansfield City Council approved pay raises and retention bonuses for the police department in an effort to combat short-staffing and recruitment efforts by other law enforcement agencies.
“I think it has helped in a small way,” Porch said. “It’s not the number of applicants that I’m concerned with, it’s the quality of applicants.”
“I want the right people wearing the uniform that are going to represent the police department and the vision that I’ve set, as well as the goals and policies that we have,” he said.