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Board suspends eligibility list and authorizes emergency hire after officer resignations and retirements
Summary
After a patrol officer resigned to join the FBI and two officers retired, the Schererville Board of Safety voted to suspend the current eligibility list and establish an emergency hire list to recruit lateral transfers and preserve staffing levels.
Police Chief Pete Sormoz told the Board of Safety on April 2 that Officer Jacob Birmingham resigned after being selected by the FBI for its academy, and that two other officers—Tim Mili and Tom Ruzgar—recently retired, creating an immediate staffing shortfall.
"He submitted a resignation last month. His final day working was March 9, and his final paycheck will be on April 25," Sormoz said when notifying the board about Birmingham's departure. Sormoz said the department expects authorized sworn strength to fall from 51 to 48 later this year without new hires.
To address the shortfall, Sormoz recommended initiating an emergency-hire process and advertising for 30 days to establish a new eligibility list, temporarily suspending the current charitable recruit eligibility list (slated to expire December 2026). Board members noted precedent for emergency hires but asked staff to try to use the existing list where feasible.
The board approved two motions by roll call: to suspend the current eligibility hiring list, and to create an emergency hire list for lateral transfers and immediate recruitment. Both motions passed unanimously.
The board also heard that the next police academy is scheduled to start in August, with registration opening roughly six weeks prior; chief and staff said emergency hiring will allow the department to remain operationally ready while preparing candidates for future academies.
