Police Department

We exist to protect and serve the citizens of Gratis and we will do so in a Constitutionally correct, respectful, and fair manner as Peace Officers using a community-oriented model. 

Your voice is important and we are always available and eager to hear your concerns in person, by phone, or email.  Here is our non-emergency number for the GPD (937) 787-9095 which rings straight to the Interim Chief.  My email is officerjones@gmx.com.

If you have an emergency, always dial 911.

The Village Council and Mayor Johnson have formed a search committee to find a permanent Chief of Police for Gratis.  Until a replacement is found, it is my honor to serve the community I live in and to help move the department forward as we repair operational issues.  We will do so in cooperation with the village administration, local law enforcement partners like the Sheriff’s Office, and with other trusted outside advisors.

In the interest of transparency, trust, and to better communicate with the public, here are few pieces of information about your current Gratis Police Department:

Your Officers

Interim Chief Jones lives in Gratis Township and is serving for civil service purposes after a successful 22 year career as a small business owner.  He has a 4 year degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, post graduate work at THE Ohio State University, is an FAA registered UAS (drone) pilot, HAM radio operator, and former teacher.

Officer Lykins continues his successful 10 year career in professional security and as an executive protection specialist while he works for the GPD.  He is expanding his security credentials by working as a peace officer.  He also enjoys small town policing.

Officer Hernandez was recently hired by Butler County Metro Parks and we wish her well.  You may still see her as she has offered to continue to help, so we are keeping her on staff.  She has a family to raise and her career is just getting started.  Congratulations to her!

You may also see Officers Dickens, Schantz, Oliver, Hoehn, and S. Bailey on as your auxiliary officers who help with administrative tasks and who are ready to step up if needed.  Between them, count over 60 years of law enforcement knowledge, the ability to provide training to all officers, hazmat and fire experience, classroom teaching experience, hospital procedure knowledge, and extra hands for special duties like the car show or emergencies.

Your Vehicles

A new police vehicle with no equipment costs around $60,000.  The GPD currently owns two vehicles, a 2014 and a 2017 Ford Explorer Interceptor.  They cost an average of $4,200 each.  We are as responsible as possible with your tax dollars, saving money wherever we can.  We spend a small fraction of what most departments spend and can be just as effective with properly maintained used vehicles.  We are currently having to make a few small repairs, purchase tires, and we’d like to make the vehicles look uniform eventually.

You may see a new "face" in the vehicle fleet.  It is a black explorer which was purchased by the former Chief and it sat dormant for almost a year.  We have put it into service and are currently trying to find a radar unit for it.

Mayor Johnson made a great connection with MVCTC and so both cars may get a much needed facelift (paint and decals) for a heavily discounted cost.

Your Traffic Enforcement

Gratis is very unique in that we have not one, but three, State Routes.  This creates a massive amount of traffic for our small village. According to DOT data, Gratis sees around 5,000 vehicles pass through per day, with up to 10% of that being truck traffic.  There are children riding bicycles on the sidewalks and walking to the Dollar General; we have citizens in wheelchairs and citizens and village employees working near or in the streets.

Speeders are a routine problem.  Our focus is safety, not revenue generation.  Anyone is welcome to inspect our records to learn that our citation rate is very low.  When we do issue a citation, only about $30 of that money returns to the village.  In the month of June I believe the village received about $100 from our citations.  As one of the officers who makes stops, it’s my experience that the interactions we have with motorists does help make our village safer by reminding people of the consequences of dangerous driving — someone could get hurt and it's not worth the risk, nor the $170 citation.

Your Gratis Service Model

As a small village department we enjoy getting to know the citizens.  We can (and do) often handle things in an informal manner and we try to work out problems without using the force or letter of the law — this is what being a Peace Officer is supposed to mean.

When on duty, we provide service by actively patrolling the village, doing house and business checks, quickly responding to car crashes, documenting property damage, doing investigations, helping resolve neighbor disputes, providing Notary services, dealing with trespassing problems, domestic issues, helping with lock outs and battery jumps -- and of course if emergencies happen, we will step up with fast response times.

You can count on us to be in service Monday through Friday during “banker hours” to serve your needs, but we also have randomized patrols which are not during these hours.  These roving patrols will not be announced and they will be unpredictable.

If you experience or see an emergency, always dial 911.  If we are on duty, we will respond.  If we are not on duty, the Sheriff's Office will respond and coordinate with us later if needed.

The Big Move

After much discussion, it has been decided that the Gratis Police Department shall move back to the Administration Building on Harrison Street!  This will streamline your civics experience with all village offices under one roof.  We are very excited about this move.

UPDATE:  WE EXPECT TO BE AT THE "ADMIN BUILDING" BY SEPTEMBER 1ST!!

I have enjoyed being at the Administration Building as we reorganize, getting to meet even more citizens who may be coming in to pay a water bill or conduct other business.

Being there also makes it very easy for the GPD to liaison and communicate with the Mayor, the Village Administrator, Council members, and to facilitate police business in general and serve the public as efficiently as possible.

It also saves the village money by eliminating or reducing various utility bills.  All signs point to this being a good move for both the GPD and for the village as a whole.

Always Open

Remember, we are here to serve you, the citizen.  You can see our Officers' daily Logs of Activity, you can participate in citizen ride-alongs, you can speak to us directly in person, you can petition for what you want to see out of your GPD.  We are here to serve you, the taxpayer and our fellow citizens.

We wish you a safe and fun fall and new school year!  Be safe and God bless.

Gratis Police Department