Chief Deputy Frank Thomas, Police Chief Kelly Fisher, James Dulin & Officer Rico Simpson (photo provided by Peggy Bohac)
Town Marshal Kelly Fisher recommended appointing James Dulin to the open position at the North Judson Police Department during last night’s North Judson Town Council meeting.
According to Fisher, the hiring process included a physical agility test that was structured after academy exit standards, a written exam and point-based interviews conducted by a seven person panel.
The panel included all three full-time officers with the NJ PD, a retired resident with past law-enforcement experience, a former Chief Deputy, a current officer with the Starke County Sheriff’s Department and Councilman John Rowe as the town council’s liaison.
Police Chief Fisher said that Dulin scored at 96 percent on the written exam and passed the physical agility test as well as the background check that was conducted. Fisher also mentioned that during the panel-interviews, Dulin scored the highest with points and votes. She added that his family is in law-enforcement so he is familiar with what it takes and knows the time commitment required for the position.
Fisher’s request to add Dulin to the force received unanimous council approval.
After the meeting, 24-year-old James Dulin shared that he is the son of Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin. He also mentioned that he’s always had a desire to work in law enforcement.
Previously employed at J.W. Hicks since his graduation, he applied for the NJPD position when it became available. During her recommendation, Fisher noted that Dulin’s consistent employment record was also seen as a good sign during candidate selection.
Fisher said that Dulin officially starts on December 4th and will then go through the Field Training Officer program. The FTO program consists of ride-a-longs with other officers in the North Judson Police Department, as well as officers at the county level, engaging in day-to-day tasks and training on the job for approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Fisher added that she believes Dulin is a good fit for Judson.
NJ PD Full-time Officers and Starke County Sheriff Bill Dulin
