Beachwood to install Shaker Heights commander as next police chief, mayor says

Mayor Burns announced at the Aug. 20 special meeting that the city has hired Commander Dan Grispino from the Shaker Heights Police Department to serve as Beachwood’s next police chief. The mayor said the decision followed a confidential search and that Grispino will begin Sept. 3.

The mayor said the choice was deliberate and confidential to protect applicants who may be employed elsewhere, and that Grispino was selected after outreach to numerous law‑enforcement professionals across Northeast Ohio. “I spoke to, to begin with, numerous law enforcement people in Northeast Ohio,” the mayor said, adding that Grispino “rose to the top very quickly.”

Burns told the council that Chief McLaughlin will retire after providing nearly two months of transition time so the incoming chief can overlap with the incumbent — an arrangement the mayor called unusual and helpful for continuity.

The mayor summarized Grispino’s responsibilities in Shaker Heights, noting his background leading the patrol division and his experience supervising large field operations. The administration did not provide further biographical details at the meeting; Burns said the city would not disclose the names of other applicants.

Council did not debate the personnel decision at length during the public meeting. The mayor framed the confidentiality of the search as necessary to protect candidates’ employment status and bargaining positions. The planned Sept. 3 start was presented as the most recent, firm date given by the administration.

The council did not take a formal vote on the hire during the meeting; the mayor presented the appointment as an administrative action and outlined next steps for transition and coordination with the police department.