BEACHWOOD – Community policing is the goal for Glen DeMarco, who became the borough’s new police chief.
He began his career as a Special Officer II in 1999. He was promoted through the ranks from Patrolman to Captain. Although he took over the department after the retirement of Chief Robert Tapp at the end of last year, he will officially be sworn in this month.
While he was a lieutenant, he learned from Tapp how to run the department. DeMarco was also the officer in charge whenever Tapp was away.
He says he’s big on networking with the public and other officials. He wants to make it a point to meet with as many community groups as possible. This also goes for meeting with department heads within the borough. He wants to make sure everyone is on the same page.
“Chief Tapp was very into community policing and I want to continue that legacy,” he said.
He also wants to reach out to other police departments to learn what’s working and what’s not, as well as share Beachwood’s progress.
Opioids are, of course, one of the most serious issues impacting the region, and sadly, Beachwood was not spared by the epidemic. Between drugs and domestic violence, those are the two biggest issues that the officers handle almost on a daily basis. In talking with police officers and chiefs in nearby districts, it seems that Beachwood is not alone in this.
The police participate in all open-door events at the schools. “We’re very active in the school system,” he said. “You want that positive relationship.”
It’s important for officers to take some time to talk with kids and get to know them, he said. Police officers need to make a good first impression with kids, to build trust. They don’t want their first interaction with someone to be when they do something wrong.
