Meet Police Chief Tim Malley

Chief Malley with two of his daughters at the Lakewood Fourth of July Parade.

Chief Tim Malley was named Police Chief in 2002. He is a 38-year veteran of the Lakewood Police Department and has served under 7 Lakewood Mayors. He joined the Department as a Patrol Officer on February 14^th, 1982, he was promoted to Sergeant in 1991, Lieutenant in 1996, then became Captain of the Detective Bureau in 1998, and named Chief in 2002.

Chief Malley oversees the Lakewood Police Department in its mission to preserve the peace, protect life and property, prevent crimes, apprehend criminals, recover lost and stolen property, and enforce, in a fair and impartial manner, the ordinances of the City of Lakewood, and the laws of the State of Ohio and the United States of America. The Department achieves this mission through the effective staffing, training, and utilization of the Administrative, Patrol, and Investigative Divisions.

“We have strived to ensure that the Department is well thought of and respected in the community,” said Chief Malley. “This has been made possible by finding and hiring great people that are dedicated to their work, giving them the equipment and training they need to successfully carry out their role, and creating a culture that is thorough and professional.”

Over his 38-year tenure, Chief Malley has seen the department positively change and grow. “The utilization of technology has been transformative in policing. The assistance that we get from DNA, video footage, and computers has resulted in better outcomes for our community.”

Chief Malley is preparing for retirement in 2021. In addition to his own retirement, there will be several supervisors and officers retiring over the next two years. His primary goal for the department right now is to ensure that it is positioned so the new members of leadership are going to be successful.

Chief Malley has been married to Patty for 33 years. Together they are parents to three daughters (two of which are seen in the above photo) and proud grandparents to one grandchild born in 2019.

Fun Fact: Chief Malley is an athlete. He was named All-State as a football player at Parma High School in 1976 and has been a Soccer Referee at the high school and amateur level for over 20 years. All three of Chief Malley’s daughters followed in his athletic tradition and have had impressive soccer careers.

To contact Chief Malley and the Lakewood Police Department (non-emergency), call 216-521-6773 or email police@lakewoodoh.net.