Trustees Corner by Trustee David DePasquale

As trustee representative to the Sagamore Hills Police Department, most of my interaction with township law enforcement involves the budgeting of the police department. Our expenditures for 2022 were $1.9 million.

In 2022, we had 13 full-time officers including the police chief, four part-time officers and a school community officer paid by the Nordonia school system. In addition, Officer Dan DeCrane is the police representative to Rushwood Elementary school. It has been seven years since we contracted dispatch service with the city of Macedonia. We have never lost a call.

The investigation division responded to 259 calls for service in 2022. Of these cases, two remain open and 257 others were closed by restitution, insufficient evidence, and non-cooperation from the victim or referral to another agency.

In 2022 the department issued 213 traffic citations and 572 written warnings for traffic/equipment violations. Misdemeanor citations totaled 30 thefts, 30 frauds and 19 domestic disputes. The total number of arrests for 2022 was 23. This is the seventh year our officers have worn body cameras.

Calls for service totaled 6,684, which was an increase of 648 calls from 2021. The community policing calls totaled 10,291. This includes vacation checks, area checks, business checks, foot patrols, school patrols and other assignments. There were 6,357 “patrolled your area” card distributions.

In closing out 2022, every police officer attended ongoing education. This totaled 1,008 hours of training and all officers completed online mandated training by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy.

This year, the department will replace a police cruiser with a Ford F-150 truck and a Ford Police Interceptor. Updating vehicles is a necessary cost to ensure public safety and to keep up the department’s exceptional response time. The Sagamore Hills Police Department thanks all residents for their cooperation and wants to remind you that if you see suspicious behavior or have non-emergencies, call 330-468-0900 to report them. Call 911 for all emergencies.

The Sagamore Hills Board of Trustees wants to congratulate Officer Ryan Shelby on being named the department’s “Employee of the Year” for the third time in his 10 years as a police officer in our township. Two of his main duties are taser instructor and field training officer.

In early January, officers Emory Clark, Ryan Ennis and Christopher Salveter responded to Brandywine Ski for a suspicious male asking for marijuana and cocaine.  His girlfriend and her little brother were with him. Both the man and girlfriend denied asking for drugs, but claimed they wanted lotion for the girlfriend’s little brother.

Neither party had any drugs on them, but they were run through LEADS and the girlfriend had active warrants through Solon and Brooklyn police departments for possession of a controlled substance and a traffic warrant. Solon PD took custody of the girlfriend. Both individuals have been banned from Brandywine. They were from the far Westside of Cuyahoga County. Chief David Hayes was pleased with the actions of these officers, as two of them are new to the force.

Remember as we enter spring to watch your speed and watch for children playing outdoors! ∞