Lorain police Chief Jim McCann to retire in September

LORAIN — The Lorain Police Department will be under new leadership this fall. Chief Jim McCann will retire Sept. 15 under a separation agreement with the city finalized late Monday and obtained by The Chronicle-Telegram on Tuesday. He will remain on paid administrative leave in the interim and cannot be rehired by the city once his retirement takes effect. McCann's separation from the city stems from comments he allegedly made to Detective Craig Payne that McCann reportedly wished Payne "was a 'dirty cop'" because McCann "needed someone taken care of." McCann's alleged comments to Payne were made before a promotional ceremony last year and unearthed during an Office of Professional Standards investigation into discrimination allegations made by former Lt. Corey Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks was fired April 17 following a nearly yearlong investigation into discrimination complaints he made before and after his demotion from captain in July 2024. An OPS investigation into his discrimination allegations found many were unsubstantiated or too much time had passed for them to be confirmed. During OPS' investigation into Middlebrooks' claims, Lt. Kyle Gelenius interviewed Payne about McCann's comments. Payne, who was reluctant to testify for fear of retaliation, said the chief told him he needed a dirty cop, "like Corey Earl dirty … I need someone taken care of," McCann reportedly told Payne. Earl was a Lorain police officer in the late 2000s and early 2010s who faced a litany of suspensions and criminal charges, including violations of protection orders, harassment, tampering, forgery and passing bad checks during and after his time with the department. He died in 2020 at age 58. McCann did not respond to the allegation raised by Payne's comments as part of OPS' investigation into Middlebrooks' complaints. He was placed on paid administrative leave April 25 while the Lorain County Sheriff's Office further investigated the claims raised during the Middlebrooks investigation, including whether any crime had been committed. Lorain County Sheriff's Office Maj. AJ Torres confirmed that investigation is ongoing. Under McCann's agreement with the city, he waived his predisciplinary hearing scheduled for Monday morning. Rather than have an unpaid, three-day suspension, he and the city agreed to the separation agreement after Safety/Service Director Rey Carrion found his actions during the conversation with Payne violated the department's code of conduct. Specifically, according to the agreement, Carrion found the comments to be "unprofessional and unethical, even if it was intended as a joke." On Tuesday, Carrion said McCann will perform the same duties he has since placed on administrative leave in April, including being available by phone for consultation by Deputy Chief Michael Failing, who will be acting chief. McCann will be paid his regular salary through Sept. 15, and he will be able to sell back his sick or vacation time at his retirement as standard under the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3's collective bargaining agreement, Carrion said. The delay in McCann's separation from the city was a decision made between the two parties, Carrion said. McCann has served in the police department for about 34 years. "It's a delicate, sensitive issue and we wanted to make sure everything was done in the best interest of the parties and being mindful and respectful of that, it took longer than everyone wanted," Carrion said. McCann is paid a yearly salary of about $168,000, after City Council approved a raise to his base pay in 2022. His base pay is $125,000, plus a 12 percent rank differential and $28,000 in longevity pay. In 2024, including his vacation and sick time sellback, McCann was paid $235,876, according to city auditor records, making him the highest paid employee in the city for the year. His retirement will allow him to keep any retirement benefits, including his pension through the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund equal to 72 percent of his average annual salary. McCann's departure will trigger a number of promotions within the department, including a new test for police chief. The last test for chief, in which McCann bested fellow Capt. Roger Watkins to replace longtime Chief Cel Rivera, was in 2019. There are two Lorain police captains eligible to test to replace McCann: Deputy Chief Michael Failing and Capt. AJ Matthewson. Captains must have held the position for at least two years to test for chief. Carrion said the timeline for a test to find McCann's replacement has yet to be finalized. McCann did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com