Barb Putterbaugh began her career with the West Carrollton police department as a dispatcher in 1970.  In 1972, she became the first female officer in the city. 

Putterbaugh, who passed away April 12 after battling cancer, retired from the police department in 1995 with 25 years of service. Services are scheduled at Newcomer Funeral Home in Moraine on Saturday, April 20.

Police Chief Rick Barnhart said that she was a leader in the department. “She didn’t always look for promotions, but she did look to train new officers to be good police officers,” he said. 

Putterbaugh served as a ‘field training officer,’ meaning that she was responsible for training new officers as well as an ‘officer in-charge,’ making shift assignments and final decisions when a chief or sergeant was not on duty.

"She had a tough outer shell which made it hard to get to know her,” Barnhart said. “However, once you began working with her, and you got to know her, you realized that she was very friendly and willing to help anyone,” he said. Barnhart said that she was well-respected in the city and in the law enforcement community.

The city of West Carrollton recently conducted a public opinion survey with the help of Wright State University’s Center for Urban and Public Affairs.

Jane Dockery, associate director of the center, presented a summary of the findings during the April 10 city council meeting. “Overall what we found is: pervasive satisfaction,” she said.

A total of 383 residents completed the 88-question survey during phone interviews conducted throughout the month of January. A summary of the findings included the following statistics:

▪ 99 percent were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’ with both fire services and paramedic service;

“In your case, this is ‘off the chart’ … very high levels of satisfaction with fire and paramedic services,” Dockery said. “And it actually showed a statistically significant improvement from 2011 when the statistic was 95 percent.

The West Carrollton police department will host a blood drive from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, April 26, in the Civic Center parking lot, 300 E. Central Ave. A bloodmobile from the Community Blood Center will be on site.

All donors who register to donate blood from April 8-27 will receive a grocery tote bag with the ‘Recycle Life, Give Blood’ logo.

To schedule an appointment see www.donortime.com and use sponsor code 1404 or call 1-800-388-4483. Donors must be at least 16 years-old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and have photo identification.

For more information, contact Deputy Police Chief Doug Woodard, (937) 847-4630.