Cleveland Mayor-elect Bibb taps Deputy Chief Wayne Drummond as interim chief of police

Cleveland Mayor-elect Justin Bibb has selected Deputy Chief Dornat “Wayne” Drummond as the interim replacement for retiring Chief of Police Calvin Williams.

Drummond is a 32-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Police. He was named deputy chief in 2014, the same year Williams was promoted to chief.

Two days after Bibb won in the November general election, Williams announced Jan. 3, 2022, would be his last day.

“We must maintain top-level expertise in this role while we search for a new Police Chief,” Bibb in a press release Wednesday. “Deputy Chief Drummond is highly regarded for his service, and I look forward to working with him.”

Drummond currently oversees field operations, the traffic bureau and community relations. As the deputy chief in charge of field operations, Drummond was a likely successor to Williams.

“I am honored to be selected to lead the force during this period of transition. Keeping Cleveland safe has always been my number one priority,” Drummond said in the statement.

Bibb’s transition team told Ideastream Public Media the new administration plans to conduct a search modeled after the one recently conducted in Akron, which included a public forum with the four finalists, all from outside Ohio.

The press release from Bibb’s communications director, Eden Giagnorio, stressed the temporary nature of Drummond’s appointment:

“Once Mayor-Elect Bibb takes office on Jan. 3rd, the administration will work with an executive search firm with experience recruiting for police departments in major cities across the country. The firm will search far and wide and seek talent nationally and locally. Community engagement will be an important part of the process to determine community expectations for the role.”