Lakewood Police Chief Tim Malley To Retire This Week

LAKEWOOD, OH — After a nearly 40-year career as police officer, Lakewood Police Chief Tim Malley will retire this week.

Malley became a patrol officer in 1982. For the past 18 years, he has been the chief of Lakewood police. During his tenure, both the art of policing and the city of Lakewood have undergone sweeping changes.

"We're still a condensed community," Malley told Patch. "But the city has changed. Policing has changed."

Malley spent part of his final days as chief chatting with Patch about his career and talking about Lakewood.

How has policing changed during your career?

"Thirty-eight years ago feels like yesterday, it feels like we just started. Technology has changed by leaps and bounds since 1982. Equipment and services we provide are different. The technology we use is night and day. That's good. Technology should be different. Policing should be different."

Do you have any specifically fond memories from your time in Lakewood?

"There’s too many memories to mention. There’s so many good people we’ve worked with in the department and in the city. I think about the calls we’ve gone on and the things we’ve done to help people. There’s just so many stories out there and I’ve been fortunate to experience it at all different levels, from patrol officer to chief. I’ve experienced everything that policing has to offer. I’ve been very fortunate in my career."

Do you have any message to the community or the police who have worked for you?

"I always go back to a quote I like, "We’re humans dealing with humans."

"It’s not police against public, Democrats versus Republicans, it’s humans. We’re humans dealing with humans. There are all these intricacies that come with that.

If we remember we’re all the same, and remember police will make mistakes and the public also makes mistakes, we'll be better off. We see people in their crisis mode, generally. We have to remember that. If we can remember that we’re all the same, we’re just humans, we'll be better off."