Wickliffe Police Chief Randy Ice retires after almost four decades

As a young man, Randy Ice wanted so passionately to be a police officer that when he was offered his first job in 1985 he forgot to ask one critical question. "I didn't even ask what the pay was," Ice recalled. "I guess when you are a kid you really aren't looking that far ahead." If he would have looked almost four decades into the future, Ice would have seen that eager 25-year-old hired by the Garfield Heights Police Department would have a highly decorated career and a huge impact on those around him.

Wickliffe Police Chief Randy Ice retired in October after 16 years at the head of the department. (Courtesy Wickliffe Police Department)

After 38 years of police service, including the last 16 as the chief of police for Wickliffe, Ice has retired.

Jonathon Bush, who served under Ice and was mentored and influenced by the veteran, takes over as the new chief of police in Wickliffe. Ice served as a police officer for the Garfield Heights Police Department from 1985 to 1988 before taking the oath of office as a patrolman for the Wickliffe police on Feb.

13, 1988, and was promoted to sergeant on Oct.

1,1994, and then to lieutenant on Sept.

11, 2000. Ice was promoted to the chief on Oct.

22, 2007, managing the police department consisting of 46 employees including officers, dispatchers, clerical personnel and part-time officers and employees with an annual budget of £4 million. "I think one of the main duties of the chief of police is to hire quality people, and I would like to think I did that over my 16 years at Wickliffe," he said. "Having good people set a culture to serve the community is the most important aspect of the job."

Jonathon Bush has taken over as the new chief of police for the Wickliffe Police Department after Randy Ice retired in October. (Courtesy of Wickliffe Police Department)

Bush worked with Ice for 28 years and looked up to him during his rise through the ranks of the Wickliffe Police Department. Ice was his first sergeant out of training and when he himself was promoted to sergeant, Ice was promoted to chief.

"He helped me with the transition of patrolman to sergeant by imparting his knowledge and level-headed thinking," Bush said. "Randy and I were on the SWAT team together for 16 years and in 2013 I was promoted to lieutenant and got to work under him as his patrol commander until his retirement this year. "I truly believe I would not be in the position I am now if it were not for the leadership and knowledge that Chief Ice imparted on me," he added. "Randy was not only my boss but a true friend who I could rely on to give me sound advice in not only work-related topics but also in life experiences." Ice has a lengthy resume that includes being a member of the Western Lake County Emergency Response Team, or SWAT, for 19 years until his promotion to police chief, with the last six years as an executive officer.

And in 2001, Ice prepared and implemented the field training program, a formalized evaluation process, that is still used today as a valuable tool for training new police officers prior to solo patrol.

During his career, Ice was involved in many functions in the police department, including range officer, field training officer, motorcycle unit, Emergency Response Team, Mentor Dive Rescue and Recovery Team, and patrol commander.

He also developed and managed the department's records retention system and served as a committee member of Lake County's Begin the Conversation, a group designed to improve race relations between minority groups and the criminal justice system. Ice was a member of the Lake County Narcotics Executive Board for 13 years overseeing the agency's budget and general operations, serving as chairman of the Executive Board for the last five years. Ice served as president, vice president and secretary/treasurer of the Lake County Association of Chiefs of Police since his promotion in 2007.

Ice participated in many community events such as Home Days, Mt. Carmel Festival, bike rodeos, Law Days, The Fest, Block Watch events, Special Olympics Torch Run and others. According to a city resolution, during his career, he received numerous letters of appreciation for his dedication to service and professional demeanor.

He will be able to spend more time with his wife, Carol, who retired as a Willowick Police officer seven years ago, and his children -- Randy, Ricky and Connor, and his grandchildren. The impact he leaves behind on the department and the community will not be soon forgotten. "Chief Ice built the culture of the Wickliffe Police Department focusing on ethics, hard work, transparency, professionalism and accountability," Bush said. "The men and women of the Wickliffe Police Department are truly thankful for his leadership and making this department what it is today.

"Chief Ice left me with a police department that I believe is one of the best departments in Lake County/Northeast Ohio and I can assure our residents that I will continue building upon the foundation that Chief lce left," he added. Joann Lentine, secretary to the Wickliffe Chief of Police, said while it was hard to see Ice leave after years of dedicated service to the community, she is confident the department is in good hands with Bush. "I have been truly blessed to work for Ice in his role as chief for the past 16 years.

He is an amazing, honest, smart and completely trustworthy person who absolutely loved his role as a police officer," Lentine said. "It was difficult for him to say goodbye because of his love for his work, which never diminished in the over 38 years in law enforcement. That in and of itself is commendable. "And our new Chief Bush is definitely cut of the same cloth," she added. "He is completely immersed in the department and it is an extension of his family and his real family has literally been alongside him throughout his career at countless community policing events.

"Law enforcement is a difficult field and there is a lot of negativity, yet both of these men live our mission statement, which is, to serve with effective and professional law enforcement while treating all people with dignity and respect."

Ice said when he looks back at his tenure as chief, he wanted to be remembered as a "professional police officer."

"Hopefully, people will look back at the time mainly as we hired a strong staff of people who consistently provided safety to the residents of Wickliffe," he said.