CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — Thomas O’Malley has joined the Circleville Police Department as a lateral transfer police officer, the department said in a social media post, a hire city officials say brings CPD a step closer to full staffing.
“Officer O’Malley joins us as a lateral transfer police officer, bringing the Circleville Police Department one step closer to achieving the goal of full staffing,” the department said in the post, adding that it is excited to have him on the team and looks forward to the positive impact he will make.
O’Malley joins the department through Circleville’s lateral transfer hiring pathway, which allows candidates who already hold Ohio Peace Officer certification and experience at another agency to apply directly rather than starting as entry-level recruits. Lateral hires can qualify for a higher starting pay rate based on their years of prior service, with the department’s police officer pay scale reaching up to $37.51 an hour as of Jan. 1, 2026, according to the city’s job postings, along with increased vacation accrual based on service credit.
The hire adds to a department that has worked to rebuild its ranks under Chief Kenny Fisher, a U.S. Marine Corps and Army Reserve veteran who was sworn in as permanent chief in October 2024 after serving as acting chief and, before that, as a sergeant with the department.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Circleville Police Department.
