CLEVELAND — A familiar figure will be returning to the role of interim Cuyahoga County sheriff.
On Thursday, Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne announced that Chief Deputy Joseph Greiner has been appointed to replace fellow interim Steven Hammett, who announced his resignation earlier this month. Hammett's last day on the job will be this Friday.
It's the second time that the county has appointed Greiner to serve as interim sheriff. He previously held the role for three months in early 2021.
“Chief Deputy Greiner has been a valuable member of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department for over a decade and his dedication to service is clear,” said Ronayne in a statement. “Based on his strong leadership and experience, we believe he will be a tremendous asset in this role.”
Greiner began his time with the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department as a deputy in 2012. Since then, he has received promotions to the ranks of sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and chief deputy. He previously served in the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and the Medina Township Police Department.
There has been a revolving door of Cuyahoga County sheriffs or interim sheriffs since a 2010 charter amendment changed the sheriff position from an elected one to an appointed one. Greiner was the fifth out of seven 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
- Steven Hammett (interim): May 2022 through February 2023
Greiner will serve as interim sheriff until Ronanye names a permanent sheriff to be approved by the Cuyahoga County Council.
3News' Isabel Lawrence & Ben Axelrod contributed to this story