After two years as Parma Police Chief, James I. Blair will be retiring on Jan. 15.
Published: Dec. 29, 2025, 9:31 a.m.Courtesy of Parma police department PARMA , Ohio -- After two years as Parma Police Chief, James I. Blair will be retiring on Jan. 15. “Since I put in for the pension program’s drop program, you can only do eight years,” said Blair, 56, who served 34 years with the Parma police department.
“If you go past that, then you lose your drop account, so I’m kind of required by pension rules to leave, otherwise I get penalized. “So it is kind of bittersweet, only having two years to get things done, but I just tried to make the department better than when I found it. I spent the last two years trying to do just that.”police chief, Blair said officer wellness was a priority as a kind of daily practice. The chief introduced outside mental health and peer support resources for officers aimed at destigmatizing mental illness. “If we don’t take care of our officers, then they can’t take care of the community, so it’s definitely a department-wide priority,” he said.The donation of the Labradoodle and Bernedoodle mix canines represents a modern approach to law enforcement for both officers and the public. “They’re basically the ambassadors for the department,” he said. “They assist our officers in not just critical incidents, but it’s kind of funny to see these old, grizzled cops that just have their hearts melted by these dogs when they see them in the station. “That’s kind of neat to see, but it’s also had a big impact on community outreach with all the public events they’ve done. We get tons of inquiries from other departments now about how they can do the program.” Also started under his command with a 2026 completion date is a new police memorial garden to recognize officers.“We updated almost half our fleet that had been neglected for years,” he said. “We also updated and improved our body cams, dash cams, tasers and added Flock LPRs . I’m proud of improving the department and technology, while building community trust.”Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter said Blair’s leadership will be remembered and missed. “Chief James Blair’s tenure has been defined by steady leadership, data-driven judgment and a commitment to the safety of our residents,” he said. “He has left the Parma police department stronger than he found it, and his impact will be felt for years to come. We’re grateful for his service and wish him a well-deserved retirement.”
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