Richmond Heights reports: mayor announces free senior program, fire department receives bleeding-control kits, police report mixed crime trends

Mayor Kim A. Thomas told City Council on Feb. 10 that Richmond Heights is "moving forward with our partnership with Tri-C and Encore to expand our senior program. Transportation is free, and the program is also free." The announcement signals an expanded set of services targeted at older residents.

Fire Chief Marc Neumann said University Hospitals donated 'Stop the Bleed' kits to city police officers, explaining the kits "give officers the tools to control severe bleeding during the critical moments before EMS arrives." Police Chief Calvin Williams delivered departmental statistics: "Our calls for service were down by 67 compared to 2024. Our overall crime was down 14 percent compared to 2024. But our arrests increased by 23, and we had seven more parking citations than in 2024." No further detail or breakdown of the numbers was provided during the meeting.

Other departmental items included Recreation Director Cameron Campbell’s announcement that tickets for the Women’s Day Luncheon are $50 each; Human Resources Director Rhonda Lowe’s note that hiring is underway for service, fire and police roles; and Building Commissioner Rudy Hilliard’s report that 175 of 692 documented complaints have been closed. Service Director Ryan Tiedman also briefed the council on post-storm cleanup and salt inventory.

The council did not take votes on these departmental reports; they were presented for information and routine follow-up.