About the Parma Police Department
The Parma Police Department was created in 1925 with one Town Marshal and two Deputy Marshals. Today, the Parma Police Department is a full service law enforcement agency organized into four sections, each led by a police captain who answers to the chief of police: Executive Officer; Administrative Officer, Uniformed Patrol Division ; and, Detective Bureau. According to the Parma Police Department, “The Uniform Patrol Division is the "first responding" entity of the Parma Police Department. As of December 31, 2008 this sixty-eight (68) officer division is staffed by fifty-four (54) Patrol Officers, three (3) Motorcycle Officers, eight (8) Sergeants, and three (3) Lieutenants under the direction of the Uniform Patrol Captain.

This Uniform Division patrols 20 square miles working closely with the Detective Bureau and Communications Center "To Protect and Serve" the 85,655 residents of the City of Parma. In addition to basic patrol services, the Uniform Patrol Division operates a Traffic Enforcement/Accident Investigation Unit, Field Training Unit, SWAT Unit, Law Post Explorers youth mentoring program, seventy- one (71) School Crossing Guards, and as of December 31, 2008 a forty (40) officer Auxiliary Police Unit

The Detective Bureau consists of fourteen officers including one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Sergeant, seven general duty detectives, two narcotics detectives, and two youth/sex crimes detectives. The Detective Bureau is responsible for investigating all felony crimes reported and presents cases to the Parma Municipal Court and the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. In addition to charging felons, detectives work on long-term investigations such as corruption, money laundering, identity theft, check frauds, protracted narcotics investigations and complicated sexual assault cases. Bureau members also have additional assignments such as SWAT Tactical Officers, Hostage Negotiators, Public Information Officer and County Task Force Officers fighting internet crimes against children.

The Administrative Division of the Parma Police Department is the secure record keeping branch of the department and is staffed by twelve full-time employees who are responsible for maintaining all reports, records and transactions generated by the public or its police officers. As a “public office” the records division has two basic duties under the public records laws: (1) to provide for the prompt inspection of public records, and (2) to provide copies of public records within a reasonable period of time, if requested.”