William Visalden Jr. named police chief

A new era is beginning for the Sheffield Village Police Department.

Chief Larry Bliss is retiring and Capt. William Visalden Jr. will replace him May 17.

“I’ve been with the department since 1998,” said the 50-year-old Visalden, who is a Lorain native and Southview High School graduate. “I started as a reserve officer with the department as a fill-in for some things.

“That year, I was brought in with like 20 other officers because the department had switched to a full-time department. It was basically a 24-hour a month situation that allowed me to keep up my certification.”

Visalden said he switched from police work after spending a decade with the Lorain County Metro Parks.

“I was over at French Creek as a maintenance worker,” he said. “I then was hired here, was promoted to more of a part-time role in January 1999, and then I became a full time officer April 2001.

“I became a sergeant in 2012 and I was promoted to captain in April 2013.”

Visalden said his time at the Metro Parks really inspired him to want to be an officer.

“The initial thing is that every little boy wants to be a police officer, and the same was true for me,” he said. “During my time with the (Metro) Parks, I would see how park rangers operated, patrolled and almost took kind of an ownership of the park and making sure everything was being maintained safely.

“That was something that then turned into a desire to be an officer. After some time of working in the village, I fell in love with the job.”

Visalden also praised Bliss for the role he has played in his career.

“Larry has always been there, since day one,” he said. “He was a lieutenant when I started, and then he was captain and chief.

“He has been there every step of the way for me as I’ve been with the department. I’ve had three chiefs during my time here, and this is not a disrespect to them, but ultimately, Larry is the one who has taken care of me as I’ve come up through the department.”

Visalden said it will be strange for him to be in the chief role.

“I’ve been in almost every position in this department,” he said. “I’ve sat in every chair and done nearly every job.

“I didn’t ask for any of this. I just have come to work to do my job the best I can. My dad (William Visalden Sr.) came here from Puerto Rico to work in the steel mill. He was always going to work, but also made time for my sporting events.

“I’ve tried to bring the same work ethic and approach he had. It’s amazing to have gotten to this point, but I’m still going to keep the same approach as I learn more about the role.”