Sylvania Police Chief Rick Schnoor turned over his office to fellow officer, Capt. Danilynn Miller, who was named the new police chief during the Sept. 6 Sylvania City Council meeting.

After more than 28 years on the force, Schnoor said, “This is a good time for me to leave. We are very fortunate to be fully staffed. We have the support from the city administration and tons of support from the community. But I will miss working with all the people here.”

Sylvania Mayor Craig Stough noted, “Chief Schnoor lead our Sylvania Police Division through a very difficult period for law enforcement, successfully meeting the special challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter marches in Sylvania. He updated and completed our Sylvania Police Division Standards, Policies and Procedures and led us to Ohio Police Collaborative Certification. He has worked for better responses and outcomes for mental health issues encountered on police service calls. His professionalism and service to our community will be missed.”

Since Schnoor was named chief in 2019, there have been 11 new officers hired and several innovations added to the department. However, Chief Schnoor is most proud of the tasks completed by different teams of his fellow officers that he has led through the years. “We have been able to identify goals and projects and to put teams together to work on and create a sense of urgency to get the job done. Through this teamwork, we have been able to create a satisfying work environment and a culture of service. I am happy with this legacy,” he said.

The chief is also pleased with the emphasis he and the department have placed on mental health issues. Every officer has received crisis intervention training through the county mental health board. “We have learned that jail is not the answer for everything, and we now look for treatment if appropriate,” he stated. “Many of our calls are mental health related. I am confident that our officers are well trained to keep everyone safe while responding to these calls.”

The youth diversion program through Sylvania Area Family Services, which he helped establish with the then SAFS director Patty Badell early in his career, is another achievement he is proud to have been a part of. Young adults charged with non-violent first-time offenses have the option to enroll with a parent or guardian in a multiple-week educational program with stringent guidelines rather than entering the court system.

“We are most fortunate that we have been able to maintain the quality of life that we enjoy in Sylvania. Our statistics have remained the same through the years and our crime rate is well below the state average,” he pointed out.

“Our job is to protect and serve. We are problem solvers, and we look for ways to intervene. We work hard to prevent crime. We also try our best to help people who are having a really bad day,” he said. “This is one of the reasons I wanted to be a police officer since I was in middle school,” Chief Schnoor related.

He recalled that his entire family has been in service. His grandfather was in WWII. His father was superintendent of Eastwood Schools, and his mother was a teacher.  He always thought he wanted to be in public service and after a middle school ride along with an Ohio State Highway Patrolman he knew what career direction he was headed for.

During his time at The University of Toledo, where he earned a degree in criminal justice, Schnoor worked summers as a Put-In-Bay police officer. Shortly after graduation, in October 1994, he was hired by the Sylvania Police Department as a patrol officer where he first spent three years on the road. He served as the D.A.R.E. officer for four years and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2000, captain in 2010, and chief in 2019.
 “I was only 28 years old when I became a supervisor. I really enjoyed looking at the big picture and working with my teams to find the best way to accomplish our goals and to develop systems and processes that work for our people,” Chief Schnoor reported. “My job has always been to help my officers and staff do their very best. It’s never been about me!”

However, retirement does not mean that Chief Schnoor is taking to his rocking chair and watching the world go by. For the past several years he has helped his wife as business manager of her dental practice, which he will continue. He is also the Junior Varsity head basketball coach for Blissfield Community Schools where his younger son is on the varsity basketball team. And with one less big job, he and his wife are now also able to watch their older son as he plays football for Ohio Wesleyan University.