The Lorraine Civil Service Commission on July 22 approved several personnel actions affecting the Lorraine Police Department and authorized the early administration of a police chief assessment after the department announced a retirement.

Commissioner Victor Tack and Commissioner Joseph Smith voted to reinstate Nitsa Cruz Pedraza to the position of police officer under Ohio Administrative Code 1231-25-02, approve a new job description for a Police Support Specialist 3 (public information consultant/community engagement specialist), waive testing provisions for an exceptional appointment, approve the appointment of Miguel Baez as a police officer under the Ohio Revised Code citation presented to the commission, and ratify an eligibility list for police sergeant.

The commission’s actions came during a meeting where Safety Service Director Kerian and members of the police command staff described staffing shortages and the need to expedite selection for a coming police chief vacancy. The commission also voted to advance the police chief assessment process following the announced retirement of Chief McCann.

The commission approved the reinstatement of Nitsa Cruz Pedraza. Safety Service Director Kerian introduced the request and described Pedraza as a former officer who left about seven and a half months earlier to take a position in Brook Park for family reasons and who now seeks reinstatement. Commissioner Tack moved to approve the reinstatement under Ohio Administrative Code 1231-25-02; Commissioner Smith seconded. The motion passed with both commissioners voting aye.

The commission also approved a new job description that the police command staff proposed for a Police Support Specialist 3, described in the request as a public information consultant/community engagement specialist to handle police social media, assist the community relations unit and expand community engagement work. The commission was told the department will eliminate one open Data Administrator position to create the new role. Commissioner Tack moved to approve the job description; Commissioner Smith seconded and the motion passed.

Separately, the commission waived its normal 72-hour agenda rule to consider an exceptional appointment for Miguel Baez to a police officer position. Sergeant Tovland told the commission that Baez had served more than 25 years in the department, including as a school resource officer, and had retired approximately eight months earlier. Tovland said Baez’s Ohio police licensure and training remain current and that, because his break in service was under one year, he would not require retraining through the state academy. The commission voted to waive the testing provision and approved the appointment; both commissioners voted aye.

The commission approved an eligibility list for police sergeant after staff reported the written exam was given June 26, 2025, and the assessment occurred in July 2025. The commission was told the effective date for that list will be July 30, 2025, and that the list contains 14 names. Commissioner Smith moved to approve the eligibility list; Commissioner Tack seconded and the motion passed.

Finally, the commission agreed to advance the police chief assessment because of the announced retirement of Chief McCann. Safety Service Director Kerian said administration requested the assessment be completed quickly so a replacement could be identified; a representative from the city described the need to engage consultants and vendors to design an assessment center rather than rely solely on written testing. During discussion a commissioner clarified that Chief McCann’s effective retirement date is September 15, 2025, though administration indicated they would like the assessment process to be complete as early as September 1; the commission approved moving forward to administer the assessment earlier than the usual schedule so the department can complete the process before the chief’s departure.

Decisions were recorded as motions and voice votes; no roll-call no votes were recorded in the transcript.

The commission’s actions affect the police department’s immediate staffing and succession planning. Several approvals noted the department’s staffing shortfalls and the desire to place experienced officers back into service quickly. The commission did not specify budgetary impacts in the meeting record; funding and implementation details were not provided during the discussion.