During a special meeting on Dec. 29, 2021, the Bethel village council approved the hiring of a new full-time police officer, Charles Brown. Pictured, Bethel Chief of Police Chad Essert shared some details about Brown’s work history and experience.

During a special meeting on Dec. 29, 2021, the Bethel village council approved the hiring of a new full-time police officer, Charles Brown. Pictured, Bethel Chief of Police Chad Essert shared some details about Brown’s work history and experience.

During a special meeting on Dec. 29, the Bethel village council approved the hiring of a new full-time police officer, making the department fully staffed.

Charles Brown will start on Jan. 10.

Ahead of the council’s vote, Bethel Chief of Police Chad Essert shared some details about Brown’s work history and experience.

Brown, who lives in the Sharonville area, has been working as a police officer since 2018. Essert said that Brown is in his mid-twenties and graduated from Indian Hill High School

Prior to joining Bethel’s Police Department, Brown has been working as a part-time police officer with the village of Addyston. Before that, he worked as a full-time police officer with the village of Maineville, prior to that police department’s disbanding – starting Aug. 1, 2020, Hamilton Township Police Department took over providing police coverage for Maineville.

“He’s really looking forward to coming on board,” Essert said to the council. “He was one of the very first applicants that we received when we posted for the full-time position.”

He added, “We’re excited to have him come on board.”

Mayor Jay Noble said that with Brown’s hiring, the Bethel Police Department is now fully staffed, again.

Noble added that the village will continue to look for police officer applicants, and perhaps hire another part-time officer, to ensure full coverage should any officers leave the department.

Essert explained that Brown has gone through an extensive interviewing process to secure the position and that his former employers all spoke highly of him.

“He’s real personable, and really friendly, and definitely really eager to learn and to grow,” Essart said of Brown.

When he is set to begin work on Jan. 10, Brown will be assigned to work with another Bethel police officer to train in the field.

“With Charles, it seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders, so we don’t think training is going to take months. We’re probably looking at somewhere in the ballpark of probably eight to ten weeks to bring him up to speed,” Essert said. “He has been a police officer for some time now, so he understands; it’s now just trying to get him acclimated to the Bethel-way.” All the council members approved Brown hiring. Brown will be sworn in prior to Jan. 10, and a swearing-in ceremony in front of council will also be offered.