Mike Love Is Promoted To Maumee Assistant Chief Of Police

BY NANCY GAGNET | MIRROR REPORTER — Maumee Police Sgt. Mike Love has been promoted to the position of assistant police chief in the city of Maumee.

Maumee City Council unanimously approved the promotion at the April 19 meeting.

Love will officially take over duties on May 19, when Josh Sprow becomes the new chief, replacing Dave Tullis, who is retiring from the division.

According to Tullis, the position was not open to officers outside of Maumee and Sgt. Love was the only qualified candidate for the job. 

“We have a plan in place and leadership ready to take over,” Tullis said. “I have total confidence in Sgt. Love’s ability to excel as our next assistant chief of police due to his character, leadership, integrity and professionalism.”

Love, 38, joined the Maumee Police Division in 2007. He holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in criminal justice from The University of Toledo. He has also received numerous awards, including the Chief’s Achievement Award and those for honorable service.

As a patrol officer, he held many positions, including bicycle officer, instructor, background investigator, field training officer and member of the special response unit. In 2017, he was promoted to the position of sergeant and served as the shift commander on midnights. In April 2019, he became the training sergeant.

“That position has been very rewarding,” Love said. “I think it helped in my journey to the path where I am right now.”

Tullis said that Love will handle internal investigations and will oversee staff among other duties.

“He is the direct supervisor for the road sergeants, so he has to make sure that they are being held accountable for their jobs,” Tullis said. 

Love recently completed the Police Executive Leadership College, a three-month leadership training program, which he said also helped prepare him for his new role in the division. 

“I’m excited. This is a new opportunity and I am very fortunate to be able to do it and I am thankful for Chief Tullis and Assistant Chief Sprow that they have the faith in me to do it,” Love said. “I am excited to work with the community on a higher level.”

From a young age, Love knew he wanted to go into policework.

“You have those ideas of what you want to do and everything was always about trying to help people. I just always loved that,” he said.