Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott, Jr. is pleased to announce the hiring of four new civilian Correction Officers. These Correction Officers will take the place of uniformed Hammond Police Department officers who have traditionally guarded the detainees in Hammond City Jail.
“This is comparable to hiring four police officers,” stated Mayor McDermott. “With the new Correctional Officers, four of our Police Officers will be able to leave the office and return to the streets where they are needed more”.
Correction Officers are required to pass an FBI/NCIC criminal history screening and Hammond Police Department background check along with a standard aptitude test, physical agility test, voice stress analysis, psychological test, drug screening and an oral interview.
“Our goal is to hire young people motivated to serve in law enforcement,” stated Police Chief John Doughty. “We see this position as a stepping stone for Hammond residents to fast track their way to being a Hammond Police Officer especially, if they take advantage of Mayor McDermott’s Academy Bound Scholarship Program.”
Some of the responsibilities of the new Correctional Officers are fingerprinting, photographing and searching prisoners, making visual checks of all detainees on a regular basis, and assisting Booking Sergeant in detainee confrontations involving the use of physical force.
“As I’ve stated in the past, imported crime is the biggest challenge Hammond faces”, stated Mayor McDermott. “Having more officers on the street along with our LPR cameras, implemented earlier this year, will help in controlling imported crime.”