BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—In a Tuesday evening address to the Bucyrus City Council, Police Chief Jon Dorsey highlighted a critical staffing shortage that is impacting the city’s police department.
Currently, the department employs 18 officers, falling short of the recommended 23 to adequately serve the Bucyrus community. Based on FBI statistics, Bucyrus should have approximately two police officers on duty for every 1,000 residents.
Dorsey expressed his concerns about the situation after losing to a dispatcher to another agency, leaving officers forced to work dispatch rather than respond to calls.
“Four dispatchers is not enough to run the city. Five dispatchers was barely enough.” Dorsey said.
Referencing a recent alarming incident in Marion, Ohio, where two police officers were shot at while working a follow-up on a porch, Dorsey underscored the dangers faced by law enforcement.
He shared a brief video of the shooting where gunfire was aimed to shoot the officers in the back while they were on a residential porch doing follow-up work:
“This is close to us. Our officers stop drivers from Marion and Mansfield where shootings like this are currently happening.” Dorsey said.
The chief revealed that domestic calls, which are a leading source of officer-involved violence, require two officers to respond for safety reasons.
Recently, when officers were addressing a domestic situation on the north side of town, another emergency call involving a weapon was received from the south side.
Officer Wireman had to leave the first call to handle the more urgent situation.
Wireman successfully arrested the suspect, and officers recovered a loaded .50 caliber rifle from the lawn in the process. Crawford County Sheriff’s deputies were in the area and provided mutual aid to Wireman.
Dorsey noted the threat this weapon posed, as a bullet of a .50 caliber can penetrate typical officer protective gear. He remarked, “It’s getting extremely dangerous out there.”
Dorsey expressed the urgent need for increased staffing levels to ensure an adequate number of patrol officers are on duty.
He also pointed out that, due to a shortage, an officer was currently working overtime to handle dispatch lines, which forced 911 calls to be redirected to the sheriff’s department, as officers are not trained to answer emergency calls.
During his address, Dorsey took a moment to acknowledge the contributions of the department’s two female officers in honor of National Police Woman’s Day, emphasizing the unique perspectives women bring to law enforcement.
As part of his efforts to enhance the department’s capabilities, Dorsey is actively pursuing grants for equipment, which, if obtained, could free up other money for personnel funding.
On a positive note, Dorsey introduced Officer Austen Conner and K-9 Vader, the newest canine member of the Bucyrus Police Department.
Officer Conner told the council about Vader’s role in combating the local war on drugs.
Discussions among council members and the public regarding funding options for the police department are ongoing. Council President Kurt Fankhauser proposed establishing an ordinance for minimum staffing levels for the police department, similar to that of the fire department.
Dorsey told the council he would support an ordinance that could mandate minimum police staffing levels.
Budget preparations for the 2026 city budget have begun, with Finance Committee Chairman Kevin Myers reporting that all departments are working hard to finalize their budgets for council review in the coming weeks.
Residents can contact their council representatives to voice support for increasing police staffing. Contact information for each ward is available on the city’s website.