The experience ranges from seven who at one point in their career held the title of police chief, one who is currently an acting police chief and another who was an assistant police chief. Six others have some level of supervisory experience.
One applicant is from Illinois, and most either work in Hamilton County or around Southwest Ohio. But only four — Doug Lanier, Benjamin Kramer, Frank Robinson and Jeffrey Witte — have ever worked in Butler County.
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- Lanier, who is currently the Fairfield Twp. acting police chief, has worked for the township since June 2001 and in a supervisory position since September 2008.
- Kramer was Ross Twp.'s police chief from May 2010 to July 2013. Prior to that, he worked for the Butler County Sheriff's Office for 16 years.
- Robinson worked for Monroe's police department from 1994 to 2013 as a patrol commander and assistant police chief and was a Lemon Twp. police officer prior to that.
- Witte worked for the city of Hamilton Police Department for about two years.
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Fairfield Twp. administrator Julie Vonderhaar said this position “is key” as this person will shape the department in the years to come.
“It’s important to the future growth of the police department,” she said.
The township is looking for a new police chief after Matt Fruchey resigned at the end of March, a month after an officer had his police cruiser stolen.
Fruchey and township officials say his resignation had nothing to do with that Feb. 27 incident.
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It’s anticipated that Fairfield Twp. trustees will narrow the list of 15 to be considered, likely during an executive session at Wednesday night’s township trustee meeting.
There is not a timeline established as to when a new chief is to be hired.
FAIRFIELD TWP. POLICE CHIEF APPLICANTS
There are 15 people who expressed interest in being the next Fairfield Twp. police chief.
They are (in alphabetical order):
- Jeffrey Butler, of Miamisburg
- Elbert Bush, Jr., of Cincinnati
- Robert Chabali, of Dayton
- Thomas Doyle, of Cincinnati
- Benjamin Kramer, of Madison Twp.
- Alan Lakamp, of Fairfield Twp.
- Doug Lanier, of Carlisle
- Robert Merkle, of Cincinnati
- Daniel Ogilive, of Cincinnati
- Jody O'Guinn, of Cabondale, Ill.
- Eugene Rice, of Sullivan
- Frank Robinson, of Monroe
- Maurice Robinson, of Cincinnati
- Keith Schoonover, of Mason
- Jeffrey Witte, of Cincinnati
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