Josh Sprow Is Named Maumee Assistant Police Chief

BY NANCY GAGNET | MIRROR REPORTER — Josh Sprow has been promoted to position of assistant chief of police.

The newly created position puts him second in command of the 38-member police force. 

Maumee City Council unanimously approved Sprow’s promotion at the November 16 meeting. 

The change reflects a restructuring plan within the division that calls for the elimination of both lieutenant positions. While Sprow moved up from lieutenant to assistant chief, his fellow lieutenant, Jeff Siebenaler, is retiring this week and neither of those positions will be filled.

The move will save the city money and has been in the works for the past year, said city administrator Patrick Burtch. 

In addition to overseeing the support side of the police division, in which Sprow’s responsibilities include training, dispatch services, community outreach and crime prevention as well as the equipment and support staff, his new duties will include overseeing patrol operations, the detective bureau and the special response unit.

“It will be good. It’s definitely going to be more hours because we have a lot of stuff going on,” Sprow said.

Eventually, he hopes to implement a citizens review board, which would be comprised of community members providing input on policy, hiring processes, disciplinary decisions and more.

“That’s one of the projects I would like to work on,” said Sprow. “I think we already have a good connection with our community here in Maumee, but it’s about transparency within the community. We want to know if we are meeting the needs of the community and not just assume that we are.”

Sprow joined the Maumee department in 2002 as a patrol officer and became an investigator in 2007. In 2012, Sprow was promoted to sergeant. In 2017, he became a training sergeant and in 2019 he was promoted to lieutenant. He is credited with several accomplishments, including updating the police field training officer program and implementing a new training manual for the dispatcher training program.

Sprow is currently taking part in leadership education through Certified Law Enforcement Executive training or CLEE, a 14-month program that takes place through the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police.

Maumee Police Chief Dave Tullis has full confidence that Sprow is up to the task.

“He’s earned this,” said Tullis. “He has volunteered and accepted many assignments that other people didn’t want to do, but he knew they needed to get done. Every assignment he takes on, he figures out a way to make it more effective and more efficient and that’s what you need in leadership.”

Sprow was sworn into office by Maumee Mayor Richard Carr during council’s meeting, which was conducted virtually.