Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office

The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency for Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The current sheriff is Chris Viland, who was named to the post on January 6, 2021.[1]

The Office includes a number of units:

  • Detective Bureau
  • Warrant Unit
  • Narcotics Unit
  • Marine Patrol - operated in cooperation with the Cleveland Division of Police and the Lakewood Police Department, which has jurisdiction over the portion of Lake Erie within county borders.
  • SWAT unit

History

The first sheriff, Smith Balwin was elected in 1810.[2]

In 1982, press reports indicated indiscipline in the county jail. Organized crime figures were being given special privileges they used to continue their rackets from behind bars.[3]

In 1997, the New York Times reported the FBI claimed a guard at the jail was selling drugs and claimed to be art of a ring of several dozen local officers who protected local drug dealers.[4]

In May 2009, Sheriff Gerald McFaul Sr. was forced to resign after press reports of his corruption. He was accepting cash payments from employees for promotions and other favors. He was later convicted on corruption charges.[5] As a result of this scandal, the position of sheriff was made one that was appointed by county officials.[6] McFaul was replaced by Sheriff Bob Reid, who was then chief of police in Bedford, Ohio. Reid was asked to resign in January 2013.[7]

The jail suffered eight inmate deaths in 2018 culminating in the resignation of the head of the jail.[8] His successor, Eric Ivey, was indicted in 2019 on charges of tampering with evidence to hide problems at the facility.[9] In April 2019, five jailers were taken into custody by their own department on charges of turning off cameras, restraining and beating people, and other misconduct.[10][11]

References
  1. Viland appointed Sheriff - Cuyahoga County Executive's Office
  2. "Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Past & Present". Cuyahoga County. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. Puente, Mark (25 May 2009). "Sheriff Gerald McFaul resigns amid questions about cash". Plain Dealer. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  4. Belluckjan, Pam (22 January 1998). [44 Officers Are Charged After Ohio Sting Operation "44 Officers Are Charged After Ohio Sting Operation"] Check |url= value (help). New York Times. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  5. Puente, Mark (25 May 2009). "Sheriff Gerald McFaul resigns amid questions about cash". Plain Dealer. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  6. Shaw, Courtney (14 November 2018). "Director of Cuyahoga County Corrections resigns". ABC News 5 Cleveland. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  7. Caniglia, John (3 January 2013). "Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid says he was 'surprised' over resignation". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  8. Shaw, Courtney (14 November 2018). "Director of Cuyahoga County Corrections resigns". ABC News 5 Cleveland. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  9. Ferrise, Adam (19 April 2019). "Cuyahoga County Jail associate warden to continue making $93,000 salary after indictment, investigations". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  10. Gallek, Ed (12 April 2019). "I-TEAM VIDEO: Deputies arrest jailers from their own department". Fox 8 Cleveland. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  11. Ferrise, Adam (6 June 2019). "Video shows Cuyahoga County Jail officer pummel mentally-ill inmate after turning off body camera". Plain Dealer. Retrieved 8 June 2019.


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