Miami Twp. signs 1-year deal with new police chief

Hess elevated from interim status.

Miami Twp. has reached a one-year contract with its new police chief, who cited strengthening the department’s image and its financial status among his main goals.

The deal with the township and Ron Hess, who has served on an interim basis for nearly a year, was signed this week.

The contract, which runs through May 2015, calls for an annual “all-inclusive” compensation of $93,780. On an interim basis, Hess had been working month to month on a salary that annually equalled about $89,000, said Twp. Administrator Greg Rogers.

“We’re happy Ron’s on board,” Rogers said. “We look forward to him leading the department and the township moving forward to best serve the citizens.”

Officials sought a one-year contract with Hess after they stopped a statewide search for a chief last month due to a lack of applicants after seven people sought the job. The low interest in the job prompted trustee President Andrew Papanek to cite the department’s past “turmoil” for a tarnished reputation that lingers.

Hess, a former police captain in Miamisburg, joined the township in June 2013 after the retirement of John “Chris” Krug that spring. Krug’s departure followed the firing of Deputy Police Chief John DiPietro after DiPietro was accused of misconduct. The accusation stemmed from for his role in the decontamination of a naked 17-year-old female who had been pepper sprayed. A termination agreement was later reached with DiPietro.

Papanek also cited the continuing perception of a contentious relationship between trustees and the police chief for the lack of interest in the position, which oversees a department responsible for law enforcement in the community of 29,000 residents that also is home to Austin Landing and the Dayton Mall.

“Whatever the reasons that people didn’t apply,” Hess said, “we’re going to address that and get it fixed. We need to get (the department’s image) back to where it should be. There’s a lot of excellent staff that didn’t deserve this.”

Hess praised the work of Papanek, trustee Vice President Robert Matthews and Trustee Doug Barry, all of whom took office this year.

“This is an excellent township, and it has a lot of good things going for it,” he said.

Hess said he also will work to ensure the department’s financial stability.

The township relies on two levies to fund the department’s $5.48 million budget. The failure of a levy in 2012 prompted officials to dip into the department’s reserve and slow the rate at which it could fill vacancies.

The department remains short of the 41 full-time personnel authorized by trustees.

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