Newark police, officials mourn death of police chief
NEWARK — Steve Baum, who became Newark’s police chief in July and worked for the city 28 years, died suddenly Tuesday evening from a medical emergency, the police department announced. He was 54 years old.
Baum was hired by the Newark Division of Police in 1993, serving the department as patrol officer, detective, sergeant and captain, and then became safety director in 2016, before receiving the mayoral appointment to police chief last year.
A press release from the city stated Baum suffered the medical emergency at home and was transported to Licking Memorial Hospital, where he died Tuesday night.
City Service Director Dave
Rhodes said there were more than 20 police officers from Newark and Heath at the hospital after he arrived. He had also worked as a reserve office for the Heath Police Department.
“This was quite a scene last night at the hospital,” Rhodes said. “That was quite a gathering. It was really a somber scene.”
Safety Director Tim Hickman, who was one of Baum’s first supervisors when he started with the department, said Deputy Chief Craig Riley has been named acting chief.
“We’re taking things dayby-day, hour-by-hour, now,” Hickman said. “I’m pretty much devastated by the whole thing. He was a great officer and an even greater person. He was a presence. There was just something about him. He commanded a room when he stepped into a room.”
Baum was a United States Air Force veteran who participated in both Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was married and has two children.
The chief was an organ donor and an organ recipient, receiving a kidney from Licking County Chief Deputy Auditor Marty Snavely in 2014. Baum suffered from diabetes and his kidneys had worn out. Snavely, a longtime friend, was not only a willing donor but a perfect match.
Snavely posted today on Facebook, “If I could have saved you this time, I would have in a heartbeat. Rest easy Steven. Love you always.”
Snavely, who joined the crowd of police officers, family and friends at the hospital, said Baum seemed to be doing fine in the seven years since receiving her kidney.
“He’d been doing fabulous,” Snavely said. “It’s just heartbreaking. He’s definitely going to be missed. I guess, somebody wanted him more than us. He was just a big, giant teddy bear. He was just a wonderful person.”
City Councilman Doug Marmie, the longest serving member of council, said, “It’s a tragedy and a huge loss not only for his family and the men in blue, but the city of Newark. He worked hard for the city and always wanted to help. He’ll be truly missed. It’s a sad day.”
Marmie said Baum would not dodge a question, but provided a complete answer to whatever he was asked.
“He was always responsive to any question I had,” Marmie said. “He was the type of person not going to answer a question by not answering it. You didn’t have to worry about what he was not saying. He’d tell you everything. He was open to new ideas. He’d look at all aspects and what was best for the citizens.”
City Councilman Spencer Barker said it was a quite a shock to get the tragic news Tuesday night.
“I’m still shocked this was all reality,” Barker said. “Steve was a great public servant to the community.
“Steve very much wanted to help and do the right thing, and make sure people were safe and taken care of. He would tell people what they needed to hear not what they wanted to hear, which is a refreshing way to handle situations.”
After being named police chief, Baum said it’s difficult to say what changes he would make in the department but added that change is inevitable.
“What the community needs is more community outreach,” Baum said. “I absolutely think policing is changing, and it has changed more than once in the time I’ve been in it. We’re going to have a transition period, probably for the next few years.
“I’m the chief. I don’t dictate policy. Ideas come from the ground up. I’m sure I’ll be asking the question ‘why’ a lot in the next few months. I’m not in a cruiser, so I’m not seeing what they’re seeing.”
Hickman said one idea Baum had was to reach out to the youth in the community. “He wanted to get more involved into the schools, and wanted to take that (relationship) to a new level, develop a rapport with young people, and get involved earlier,” Hickman said.