Letter to the editor: Another rebuttal to letter on the firing of Mantua Police Chief

Editor’s note: The Portager publishes letters to the editor from the community. The opinions expressed are published not because they necessarily reflect those of the publication but because we feel they contribute meaningfully to the local discourse on matters of public interest.

This letter is a response to another letter published on Nov. 17.

Regarding the recent letter supporting the termination of former Mantua Police Chief Joe Urso, several of the stated claims are factually incorrect and contradicted by publicly available records, state administrative rules, and Mantua’s own documented history. For the sake of accuracy and community understanding, I want to clarify the record.

1. The income-tax increase and staffing

The 0.5% village income-tax increase passed several years ago did not mandate the hiring of full-time officers. The ballot language authorized funding for police operations, but it did not require the chief to hire full-time personnel. In the years following the levy’s passage, council repeatedly froze or delayed full-time hiring due to budget concerns. This understaffing created the overtime issue cited in the earlier letter. Overtime did not result from misconduct; it resulted from chronic vacancies and council’s own hiring decisions.

2. Firearms certifications were not “out of date”

The claim that no officer had current firearm certification is simply incorrect under Ohio law. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission requires annual requalification by December 31 of each calendar year (OAC 109:2-18-04). Chief Clemens from Hiram assumed interim command in October—more than two months before the annual deadline. It is impossible to be “out of date” in October unless an officer had failed to qualify the previous year, and there is no record of that occurring. Several Mantua officers had November and December qualification dates already scheduled, which is standard practice across Ohio.

3. The SRO hiring process

The suggestion that Chief Urso withheld SRO candidates from Crestwood is not supported by any public record. Crestwood Local Schools always maintained full control over selecting their preferred school resource officer, and they ultimately did not select Officer Brothers. There is no evidence from Mantua or Crestwood minutes indicating that resumes were concealed. Crestwood’s decision not to hire Brothers disproves the idea that Urso was forcing a particular candidate through the process.

4. The relationship issue

The 2023 independent investigation conducted by attorney Dean DePiero—which reviewed the relationship between Chief Urso and Officer Brothers—explicitly found that the Village of Mantua had no policy prohibiting romantic relationships between employees. The report also found no evidence of favoritism. It recommended adjusting supervision responsibilities, not termination. Ohio law does not prohibit consensual relationships in the workplace, and Mantua’s own policy in effect at the time did not ban them. The issue was one of supervisory structure, not misconduct.

In closing, a fair evaluation of Chief Urso’s tenure must rely on documented facts rather than circulating assumptions. Mantua deserves accountability, but it also deserves accuracy. Our community is best served when we base our conclusions on verifiable records such as council minutes, OPOTA rules, and the findings of independent investigations—not on claims that conflict with those documents.

— Nate Clyde, Mantua