Dershem first VW woman police sergeant

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

While new Van Wert Police Sergeant Brandi Dershem said she loved being a dispatcher, it was a desire to do more that led her to, first, being a police officer, and now the first woman sergeant in the history of the department.

“It got to a point where I wanted more responsibility,” Sgt. Dershem said. “I wanted to do more, I wanted to see more, so I started ride-a-longs.”

After riding with some of the officers to see what it was like, Dershem said she knew it was time to take the next step. She took the civil service examination and was hired as an officer six years ago. It was a transition going from being a dispatcher for nine years to being a police officer.

“I took a while for me to find my niche,” Dershem said. “While some of the male officers I knew could be physically intimidating, I knew, being a woman, I was not that intimidating.”

But she did find she could make a connection with people on a human level and work with people to defuse situations that could have deteriorated otherwise.

Dershem said she enjoyed her six years as an officer, but added that the move to sergeant came a little sooner than she had planned. She noted, though, that she decided to step up to the new challenge and take the promotion when the opportunity presented itself.

“Going from officer to sergeant is the toughest transition,” said Police Chief Joel Hammond, “because you go from being a peer to a leader.”

The chief said it can be difficult for someone to now be the person their former peers look to for answers when there is a problem. He noted, though, that Sergeant Dershem, who was the second person he hired into the department after becoming chief, has handled the situation well.

Asked how she decided to approach the transition, Dershem said with a laugh: “Head on.” She noted, though, that while her job has a lot more responsibility, she has had lots of help and support from the other sergeants and lieutenants in making the changeover.

Although Sgt. Dershem admitted she really wanted to be wildlife officer or a park ranger when she was young, the journey to becoming a police officer and shift supervisor has been very rewarding. She also noted that being a member of a professional police department that provides lots of support is an advantage that some other women don’t have.

“I’ve been very fortunate, because I’ve talked to people at other departments (and) when they’ve had somebody new come in, and maybe that person is a female, they’ve made it very difficult for that person to do the job,” Dershem said.

Chief Hammond said it’s nice to see more diversity in the department — something that’s not easy in a predominantly white, conservative rural community such as Van Wert. The chief added that he hopes Sgt. Dershem will demonstrate to other women that being a police officer can be a rewarding and empowering career choice. That’s important, he noted, because it’s getting harder to find anyone today who wants to be a police officer.

Chief Hammond said he feels “hyper-coverage” of negative situations that have occurred in other police departments has had an impact on recruitment here in Van Wert, as well as around the country, noting that only four people took a recent civil service exam for police officer, versus the more than 30 who took the test when he became an officer.

It’s a situation that can be frustrating, the chief said, especially since he feels the VWPD is respected within the community and does its job in a professional manner.

“I think the silent majority (of city residents) truly values the things we do,” Chief Hammond said, adding that the department receives very few citizen complaints on its officers. “They (officers) do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do.”

The police chief said he feels people who might like to be a police officer are deciding to look for other options after hearing all the negative national publicity concerning law enforcement right now, adding that corrections facilities and other law enforcement agencies are also having recruitment problems.

“I wanted to be a police officer when I was 12, so why are we having such a hard time getting officers,” the police chief said he thought when he was informed there were only four taking the test. It’s not a problem with people not wanting to do public service either, Chief Hammond said, because a recent firefighter exam drew at least 25 people.

To deal with the negative perception, the police chief said his department is partnering with Vantage Career Center to provide more interaction between young people and officers to demonstrate the positives of being a police officer.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Dershem said she is beginning to enjoy her new position after four months as a shift supervisor, even with the swing shifts and added responsibilities that come with it.

“The guys have been really great and everyone has been supportive,” she noted.