The Springfield Township Police Department has recently bolstered its force with two new full-time officers, according to a social media announcement. Officer Chelsea Ireland and Officer Zackery Bennett are the newest additions to the local law enforcement team, and the department is calling on the community to join in welcoming them.
Officer Ireland, hailing from the Cincinnati area and now an Akron resident, is a fresh graduate from the Columbiana County Career & Technical Center Police Academy as of July 2025. She also has an academic background boasting a Bachelor of Science in Computer Forensics from Champlain College, which she obtained in 2024, presumably bringing a modern edge to the department with her digital expertise.
Joining her in the new ranks is Officer Zackery Bennett, a native of Wadsworth, Ohio, and a 2006 high school alum from the same city, his journey in law enforcement began after graduating from the North Central State College Police Academy in Mansfield in January 2022 and his record is further marked by a term of service in the United States Marine Corps as an artilleryman from November 2006 to February 2011, Bennett's depth of experience is supplemented with prior roles at the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, the Peninsula Police Department, and the Smith Township Police Department, as highlighted on Facebook.
The department has expressed its pride in welcoming both Ireland and Bennett to their "family," and they are optimistic that the addition of these two officers will serve to enhance community safety and trust in saying, "We are proud to welcome Officer Ireland and Officer Bennett to the Springfield Township Police Department family," as conveyed on their recent social media posting, the department is eager to see the fruits of their service as they commence their full-time careers.
