Jeff Wallis always wanted to work in law enforcement. He realized that goal long ago, even spending eight years as his hometown’s top cop.
He officially retired from his role as Ravenna’s police chief on April 11.
A son of the city, Wallis graduated from Ravenna High School in 1987. He enlisted in the U.S. Army the same year, serving until 1996. When he returned home, he took a job with the Portage County Jail, where he was employed as a corrections officer for a year and a half.
“Ever since I was a kid, my goal was to join the army, be a military policeman, go to college and become a police officer. It was always something that I felt pulled to do,” Wallis said.
His chance came when Ravenna’s police department advertised for officers. Wallis took the required test, became a patrolman in 1998 and never looked back.
Within three years, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant, rose to lieutenant in 2009, then became a captain in 2011. Mayor Frank Seman appointed him as chief in 2017. Somehow he juggled his new duties with classes at Youngstown State University, graduating in 2022 with a degree in criminal justice.
With the support of Seman and city council, Wallis said he was able to enhance training, modernize equipment and raise department standards and expectations. Today’s RPD is more prepared, better equipped and more professionally developed than ever before, he said, giving credit to “the officers and dispatchers who believed in the mission and stayed committed to moving the department forward.”
Wallis has watched technology transform law enforcement.
“When I first started, the cameras were just getting in cars, and now you can almost do everything in the car. It’s like a mobile office,” he said. “Also the state is trying to standardize policies, trying to get everybody to have the same policies for the bigger things, such as use of force and pursuit.”
What hasn’t changed are the core values that matter most, Wallis said.
“While we’ve been focused on responding to calls and doing the work, the emphasis on relationships, transparency and community trust has become even more critical. These values were always important, but what has changed is that we’ve become more deliberate in prioritizing them and building systems around them, which has been a positive shift,” he said.
A police officer’s life isn’t easy. Wallis has watched as the number of men and women wanting such a job has dwindled. Younger officers are not necessarily looking for jobs where they’re going to grow old and get a pension. They want “better work-life harmony,” and they are unafraid to demand time for their families, health and well-being, Wallis said.
“I think that’s healthy, not just for them, but for the profession. We need good people to stay in this work, which means creating a culture that allows them to have a life outside of work,” he said. “The biggest challenge is understanding there’s no finish line to the job that we do. There’s always the next crisis that comes up, the next thing. The job is never done.”
Since pay remains relatively steady across departments, Wallis said he looked for better ways to attract new recruits. Instead of searching for the most qualified person, he said he learned to look for the right person. If an applicant demonstrated drive and purpose, the tangibles like writing reports and marksmanship could be taught.
To engage and retain officers already on the force, Wallis focused on communication: trying to create a culture where his officers understood RPD’s mission and wanted to adhere to it.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all type of leadership. If people trust that you’re looking out for their best interest, they’re going to understand. They’re not always going to like the decisions, but they know the reasons, and they can deal with that, as opposed to not knowing why we’re doing things,” he said.
Instead of looking at law enforcement as a “zero sum game where there’s a winner and a loser,” Wallis said it’s more helpful to visualize it as a succession of peaks and valleys. COVID was a valley, as were the weeks after George Floyd was killed and protestors took to the streets across the country. The negative perception of law enforcement did not bypass Ravenna.
Wallis found himself meeting with civic groups to explain RPD’s unchanging mission and trying to keep his staff motivated in the face of public skepticism. It wasn’t easy, and he said he worked hard to ensure that his officers didn’t lose their “why.”
Another valley, the lowest in Wallis’ career, came in 2023, when one of his officers ended his life. There was no note, and no indication as to why the young man with only three years on the force might have felt so forlorn.
Wallis instituted a wellness program for all RPD officers and said making it mandatory reduces the stigma some people feel at going to see a therapist. The feedback has “generally” been positive, and Wallis said he hopes the department will continue to develop such programs.
“People who wanted it were taking advantage of programs in place, but people who needed it may have been wary of stigma,” he said.
Combating the valleys were multiple peaks.
“I would say I had best days. A lot of those were based on successes of my officers, watching them grow and be successful, and getting public recognition for what the officers did, people calling and letting me know. Those were really good days. Officers saving somebody’s life or them being successful. Those were good days,” Wallis said.
He is also proud of having expanded the RPD’s dispatch center, overseen by a coordinator who handles calls and communications for Ravenna police and fire and other departments in and out of Portage County.
He said he would have liked to have helped contribute to the process of building a new safety center in Ravenna, but the end of his career beckoned. City leaders are now exploring ways to pay for such a center, he said.
Wallis was emphatic that his accomplishments did not happen “in a vacuum.” He said he built on the work of those who preceded him, who laid the foundation that allowed him to take things further.
“We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and I’m grateful for that,” he said.
Former Ravenna Police Captain Jake Smallfield is serving as the city’s interim chief, with a test for a permanent replacement set later this spring.
To that person, Wallis offers this advice: “Leadership is about people. Be clear in the mission, but stay focused on building trust and transparency. Lead with empathy, but hold people accountable when needed.”
As he turns to whatever adventures retirement may bring, he said he will always hold the RPD staff and the people of Ravenna close. More than anything, he said he will recall seeing the people with whom he worked grow and succeed. Watching them step up, take care of the community and care for each other is something he said he will carry with him.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve this community and work alongside other dedicated individuals,” he said. “Although we faced many challenges, the successes we achieved together are what I’ll remember most. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and of our progress. I’m confident the department will continue to grow and thrive, and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.