New Hampton Police Department Again in Hiring Mode

The New Hampton Police Department is again in the hiring mode.

The New Hampton City Council has officially accepted the resignation of officer-in-training, Nick Sylvester, with his last day on May 26th. 

That’s Mayor Bobby Schwickerath, who says they’ve already begun advertising for a replacement for Sylvester, who is currently going through police academy certification training with fellow recruit, Austin Hageman, who, like Sylvester joined the NHPD last December.

Schwickerath adds that Sylvester will have to pay the City back for his academy training. 

When Sylvester and Hageman were brought on board, it ended a six-month period of the NHPD being short-handed, down two officers. During their hiring process, the City learned it needed to up its police officer pay, with the City’s officers making, on average, $2 to $3 less per hour than neighboring departments. Last month, the City entered into a “memo of understanding” with the employees union that will increase pay in the department on July 1st.

Sylvester’s resignation comes less than a month since Tim Pederson took over as the new police chief, replacing former chief Zach Nosbisch, who left the NHPD to become Chief Deputy with the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Office in March.