Norwood Police Department, Norwood, Ohio

Please join us in congratulating Chief Dwayne Sumner on his retirement after 30 years of dedicated service to the citizens of Norwood and Hamilton County.

A proud Norwood native and Norwood High School graduate, Chief Sumner began his service to our country in the United States Army before continuing his career in public service with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and later the Norwood Police Department in 1999. Throughout his 27 years with the Norwood Police Department, Chief Sumner served in numerous roles including FTO, Special Operations Group member, Criminal Investigations, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Lieutenant, and Chief of Police for the past three years.

Chief Sumner, thank you for your service and leadership. We wish you nothing but happiness, good health, and plenty of time enjoying farm life with your family.

Congratulations on your retirement, Chief.

Sharing important safety information from Hamilton County Public Health.

⚠️ OVERDOSE ALERT ⚠️

This alert is being issued collaboratively by local public health partners and the Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response to increase community awareness and support overdose prevention efforts.

Ongoing surveillance of overdose activity since Wednesday, May 20, has identified concerning trends in Hamilton County:

▪️ 12 suspected overdose deaths occurred between Wednesday, May 20 and Tuesday, May 26
▪️ 4 of the 12 reported deaths occurred on Saturday, May 23
▪️ 5 overdose-related emergency department visits occurred on Monday, May 25

Current trends suggest a potential change in the potency of the local drug supply. FENTANYL, POTENT FENTANYL ANALOGUES, AND OTHER SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS within the drug supply can increase the risk of an overdose. However, at this time, we are not certain of what substances contributed to these deaths.

🚨 IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 🚨

• Naloxone saves lives. Carry more than one dose — multiple doses may be needed.
• Naloxone is not just for people who inject drugs.
• Never use alone. If an overdose occurs, the person cannot administer naloxone to themselves.
• Drugs such as co***ne, crack co***ne, he**in, and methamphetamine may contain fentanyl or other dangerous substances, even when opioids are not expected.
• Overdoses can occur from stimulants alone, including co***ne and crack co***ne.
• Fentanyl test strips only detect fentanyl. Medetomidine and xylazine test strips are also available through Hamilton County Public Health.
• Using again shortly after naloxone reversal can cause another overdose.

If you suspect someone is overdosing:
📞 Call 911 immediately and do not leave the person alone.

📍 Need naloxone, testing strips, or overdose prevention supplies?
Contact Hamilton County Public Health at 513-316-7725.

📍 Treatment is open and available.
If you need help, call 513-558-8888.

We are sharing this alert to ensure community members know that help is available, naloxone is accessible, and overdose prevention resources are available throughout our region.

We also encourage service providers and first responders to:
• Ensure necessary personal protective equipment is available and utilized
• Be prepared to administer multiple doses of naloxone, if needed

Your awareness and partnership are critical in helping protect our community.

Please share this alert with your networks.

The alert is linked here: https://cms2.revize.com/revize/hamiltoncountyoh/Documents/Government/Departments/Addiction%20Response/Documents/HCARCOverdoseAlert-May2026.pdf?t=202605270935500

As we enjoy our day off, let us not forget the reason behind it.

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Their courage and selflessness gave us the freedoms we enjoy each and every day.

From all of us at the Norwood Police Department, we thank and remember our fallen heroes this Memorial Day.

Just a reminder: City offices are closed today in observance of Memorial Day, they will reopen tomorrow.

This past Sunday, Officer Ryan Harrison was honored as the recipient of the 2025 Officer of the Year Blue Coat Award, presented by the Knights of Columbus. Officer Harrison was formally recognized for his outstanding accomplishments within the Training Division and his continued dedication to the development, professionalism, and success of our department.

The award was presented by Mr. Profit, who is pictured in the second photo, and a recognition speech was given by Lieutenant Klingelhoffer during the presentation ceremony. Also pictured with Officer Harrison are his shift supervisors, along with fellow officers from his shift who attended to support this well-deserved recognition.

Congratulations, Officer Harrison, and thank you for your dedication and service to our department and community.

Information for all:
Due to a serious auto accident this morning SR562 East is still shut down from the Wesley Ave exit to I-71.

Yesterday, Sergeant Borchers and his night shift received a visit from a local Cub Scout group. During their visit, Sergeant Borchers showed the scouts how officers use a LIDAR device, and they also had the opportunity to see how a police drone operates.

The scouts also dropped off some treats for the department, which we greatly appreciated!

This past Sunday marked the beginning of National Police Week. During this week, and every week, we want to take a moment to recognize and thank the dedicated men and women of our department who serve our community each and every day.
From answering calls in the middle of the night, to helping people in times of need, to building relationships throughout our city — our officers work hard to keep our community safe. Their commitment, professionalism, and compassion do not go unnoticed.
We also remember and honor the officers across the country who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, as well as the families who stand beside them.
To all of our officers: thank you for your service, sacrifice, and dedication to this community. We are grateful for everything you do.

This past Saturday, Nativity’s 8th Grade class held a fundraiser to raise funds for their upcoming trip to New York. Our own Officer Agnew stopped by to support the students and even got his cruiser washed. We love seeing young people working hard toward their goals and the community coming together to support them.