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Schererville Board of Safety approves 20 workdays emergency leave for detective, promotes two officers and approves minutes
Summary
At its Sept. 4, 2025, meeting the Schererville Town Board of Safety unanimously approved 20 workdays of emergency leave for Detective David Nagle, approved time promotions for two patrol officers and approved the minutes of the Aug. 7 regular meeting.
On Sept. 4, 2025, the Schererville Town Board of Safety unanimously approved 20 workdays of emergency leave for Detective David Nagle, promoted two patrol officers to first-class status and approved the minutes of the board’s Aug. 7, 2025, regular meeting.
The actions affect department staffing and personnel administration. The leave request, recommended by Police Chief Peter Sarmas, was described as needed because of a “serious medical situation” involving a family member. The board approved the leave by roll-call vote; the motion passed unanimously.
Police Chief Peter Sarmas told the board he had received a written request from Detective David Nagle asking for emergency time to assist with a family medical emergency. The board made the decision after a motion and second; the vote record shows unanimous approval by the five members present.
The board also approved time promotions for two officers hired through the department’s emergency-hire process. Devon Watkins, described by the department as an officer with prior law-enforcement experience, was promoted to first-class patrolman effective Aug. 31, 2025. Stephen Hawkins was promoted to first-class patrolman effective Sept. 14, 2025. Chief Sarmas told the board that the department shortened the probationary period for officers hired under the emergency process from one year to a shorter period to increase applicant interest; the two promoted officers were part of that emergency-hire cohort.
Finally, the board voted to approve the minutes of the Aug. 7, 2025, regular meeting. That motion also passed on a unanimous roll-call vote.
Roll-call voting on the personnel items and minutes recorded the following members as voting yes: Chairman Eric Graff, George Koros, David Enningenberg, David Jarazewski and Robert Volkman.
The approvals are administrative personnel actions; none of the items enacted new policies or budget changes. The emergency leave is a temporary personnel accommodation, and the department indicated it will use its existing hiring list and staffing plan to address any coverage needs while Detective Nagle is on leave.
