Something blue: Half dozen Northeast Ohio police chiefs are Parma City Schools grads

PARMA, Ohio -- Apparently, there’s a thin blue line running through the water fountains in the Parma City Schools.

Prior to the late June retirement of Lakewood Police Chief Kevin Kaucheck, the Parma City Schools had six graduates leading police departments around Northeast Ohio.

The current list includes Broadview Heights Police Chief Steven Raiff, Brooklyn Police Chief Scott Mielke, Brunswick Hills Township Police Chief Tim Sopkovich, Parma Heights Police Chief Steve Scharschmidt and Seven Hills Police Chief Michael Salloum.

We recently chatted with all six about this unique occurrence in hopes of finding a through line -- albeit blue -- between the school district and law enforcement officials.

Childhood police interactions (mostly friendly)

Whether it was playing cops and robbers with friends or watching “CHiPS” and “Starsky and Hutch,” Sopkovich, a 1990 Parma High School graduate, always wanted to become a police officer.

That dream was cemented when as a child he had a memorable interaction with a Parma officer.

Parma police cruiser. (John Benson/cleveland.com)

“A Parma officer by the name of Rich Strong was a friend of my aunt,” he said.

“He stopped over and gave me a tour of the inside of the police cruiser, allowing me to turn on the lights and siren. I somehow knew then that’s what I wanted to be.”

There were also a few law enforcement interactions with future police chiefs that weren’t quite so cursory in nature.

“Growing up, I had a few run-ins with the Parma police, nothing serious,” said Raiff, a 1985 Parma High School graduate. “It was stupid teenage stuff. I felt I was always treated fairly.

“You didn’t mess around, because they weren’t going to mess around, and I respected that. The police officers that worked the school parking lots, at McDonald’s and other events always seemed like good guys, and that made an impact on me.”

The same goes for Mielke, a 1989 Parma High School graduate.

“I had a few encounters with police officers as a juvenile -- both bad and good -- that really solidified my desire,” he said.

“Also, I hated bullies growing up, and the idea of fighting for justice for those that can’t fight for themselves always motivated me and still does.”

Inspirational teachers and coaches

Some of the lessons learned in school and on the ballfields still drive the police chiefs.

Sopkovich pointed to a certain coach who continues to impact his life decades later.

“I was part of one of the greatest baseball teams with the best teammates and respected head coach Tim Tomc, who taught me a lot more than just swinging a bat or catching a ball,” Sopkovich said.

“He instilled strong work habits while demanding us to train and practice hard so that we could see the benefits at game time. He broke us down, built us back up and made us work together as a team.”

That included being mentally prepared for the unknown. It’s this message Sopkovich often shares with his officers: “Knowing what to do when someone needs me on their worst day.

“To be a strong leader like Coach Tomc, building them up, sharing my knowledge, experience and techniques while providing means and resources for my team to become better than me,” he said.

Mielke echoed Sopkovich’s sentiments about strong teachers and coaches whose actions proved inspirational.

“I had quite a few that not only demonstrated leadership skills, but encouraged us to be leaders in our own circles on a daily basis,” he said.

Kaucheck, a 1985 Normandy High School graduate, added, “I always had a strong sense of justice, even at a young age.

“Law enforcement afforded me the opportunity to help others and to make sure that everyone is afforded equal protection under the law.”

Similar experiences

When talking to the police chiefs with Parma City School District ties, having a strong and supportive family is a common denominator.

That includes comments from Scharschmidt, who -- along with Kaucheck -- graduated from Normandy High School in 1985.

“We all received a solid education,” Scharschmidt said. “We all grew up in a time when people truly respected law enforcement.

“When you grow up in Northeast Ohio, it is hard to leave here. It’s a special place.”

Raiff said growing up in Parma was key.

“Parma people have good roots,” he said. “We had a great neighborhood growing up. Families were close, you respected your neighbors, your friends’ parents, their property and you looked out for each other.”

Added Salloum, a 1993 Parma High School graduate: “It goes back to all of us having similar experiences. It’s probably not an accident we wound up in similar careers and we’re lucky enough to be promoted to chief.

“We all share the bond of being from the Parma Schools. I know that’s helped me.”

References

1. ^{^} Parma Sun Post (www.cleveland.com)