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Interim Cuyahoga County Sheriff Steven Hammett resigns

Hammett was the seventh person to hold the position of Cuyahoga County sheriff or interim sheriff since 2010.

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CLEVELAND — Interim Cuyahoga County Sheriff Steven Hammett has submitted his resignation. His final day on the job will be on Friday, Feb.17.

Hammett joined the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department in 2021, first serving as Captain. He was first appointed as interim Cuyahoga County sheriff last May after Christopher Viland stepped down following 14 months in the role. Before serving the county, Hammett worked as chief of public safety for the Cleveland Institute of Art, chief of police in University Heights, and deputy chief of the Shaker Heights Police Department.

“I want to personally thank Sheriff Hammett for his dedication and service to Cuyahoga County and its residents,” said County Executive Chris Ronayne in a statement. “An interim will be named in the coming weeks while a comprehensive search is conducted to permanently fill the position.”

Hammett was the seventh person to hold the position of Cuyahoga County sheriff or interim sheriff since a 2010 charter amendment changed the sheriff position from an elected one to an appointed one. Here are the six previous Cuyahoga County sheriffs:

Robert Reid: May 2009 through February 2013
Frank Bova: February 2013 through March 2015
Clifford Pinkney: March 2015 through August 2019
David Schilling (interim): August 2019 through January 2021
Joe Greiner (interim): January 2021 through March 2021
Christopher Viland: March 2021 through May 2022

"I think I had the same reaction that a lot of our deputies did, and I was disappointed,” said Colin Sikon, business agent for Laborers Local 860, the labor union representing the Cuyahoga County sheriff's deputies.

Sikon said the "revolving door of leadership" is bad for morale within the department.

"Right now we don't have leadership in place long enough to ever really show our members, our deputies, their mission statement, their goals, where they want to take this department to," Sikon said.

Sikon said that having a sheriff who is appointed, rather than elected, can cause difficulties, a sentiment shared by Adam Chaloupka, general counsel for the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. Sikon and Chaloupka referenced issues of autonomy and answering to officials and agencies as possible challenges.

The Association represents law enforcement officers and dispatchers all over the state, including positions within the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department.

"It just leaves everything in such disarray, you have no idea who's really in charge as a result of this, who knows when they're going to name an interim sheriff," Chaloupka said of the resignations.

Sikon and Chaloupka also referenced the county jail, which has faced a myriad of controversies over the years, as another challenge for sheriffs. The jail has seen a number of assaults' and inmate deaths, as well as negative reviews from both federal and state officials.

This is a developing story. Please stay with 3News for more details as they become available.

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