Elkhart Police Chief outlines hiring plan, training supports and Night Out event

Elkhart Police Chief Dan Melanes told the Board of Safety on July 22 that the department is advancing a multi-stage hiring process intended to reduce current vacancies and bring new officers on board through the remainder of 2025. “We are kinda still moving forward in our hiring process,” Melanes said, describing recent testing and background phases. Melanes said 26 applicants applied, three withdrew before testing and 23 appeared for the department’s combined physical and written screening. “I believe we have 16 that have made it into the background stage,” he said. He described two stages on test day: the physical-agility test, which uses the academy standard, and a written test that covers reading comprehension, math and basic composition. “We lost, I believe, five in that written area,” he said. Melanes outlined a staggered hiring schedule rather than onboarding all recruits at once. “On the 28th, we’re hiring six. We’ll be swearing in six: four laterals that are all from Goshen PD and then two civilians,” he said, and added the department plans additional hires over the next several meetings. He said the hires will reduce the department’s open positions from 23 to 14 and that some of the background-stage applicants could be onboarded by November. The chief identified at least one incoming lateral by name: Paige Hershberger. He noted a family connection to local policing when referencing her father, Tim Hershberger. Melanes also mentioned Lieutenant Baez as the volunteer coordinator for the department’s community events. To help candidates prepare, Melanes said officers hold voluntary fitness sessions at Walker Park on Tuesday mornings beginning at 5:30 a.m. and that the department hosts an information night for applicants. “We actually work very hard at ... making that known,” he said, describing the department’s outreach and practice-test resources to help applicants succeed. Melanes invited community involvement for the department’s outreach event, Night Out Against Crime, scheduled for Aug. 5 and said it typically begins about 5:30 p.m. “We could always use volunteers,” he said, directing volunteers to contact him for coordination. He closed his remarks to the board by thanking members and saying, “You guys have a blessed day.” Discussion versus action: Melanes’s briefing was informational; the transcript records no formal vote or board action tied to hiring during this meeting. The board asked clarifying questions during the update; no formal direction to staff or changes to hiring policy were recorded.