In commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Celina community the Celina Police Department will change the uniform shoulder patch worn by the officers. The new patch will be worn for the first time at the 2009 Celina Lake Festival Parade.

Sgt. Kent Taylor led the project and created the design of the new patch with assistance from Ptl. Pat Crosby and input from all officers. Several designs were developed and a process of narrowing down the options led to two final choices. Mayor Sharon LaRue approved the final design, noting that the new patch immediately identifies the officer as a member of the police department with bold POLICE lettering.

Officers will be wearing uniforms bearing the new patch as the work the 2009 Lake Festival Parade detail. After that, the rest of their uniforms will have patches switched over a 30 day period. By September all Celina Police officers' uniforms will bear the new patch design.

The original patch worn by Celina officers is pictured below. In the 1970's the word Ohio was dropped from that patch. The words CELINA and POLICE were wrapped across the arc at the top of the patch and star was put in place of the word OHIO. One unusual detail of the current patch design was that the Chief and Assistant Chief had patches that were different than the officers. Those two ranking officers wore a patch of the same design, but gold was used in place of the silver thread on the lettering, star and trim. That unique characteristic will be gone, with all officers now wearing the same shoulder patch. The Chief and Assistant Chief will still bear badges with a golden color, as opposed to the silver badges that officers wear.

First of all, this is a police shoulder patch. The word POLICE is the most prominent part of the patch. Some of the other design concepts were eliminated because the patch was too "crowded" and the fact that it symbolized the police department was not immediately recognized.

In honor of the founding of our community in, CELINA OHIO and 1834 are prominently displayed on the patch.

The water shown represents Grand Lake; the largest hand dug lake in the world and the site of the first underwater oil well, which lends its northwest shoreline to the City of Celina. The lake furnishes the city with its drinking water and has become a center for recreational activities in and around Celina. Since the 1940's recreational use of Grand Lake has been cultured by both the local community and the State of Ohio.

The sailboat again represents the recreational history of the lake. However, upon its sail you will see a blue stripe representing the Celina Police Department and a green stripe, representative of Celina City Schools. This recognizes the partnership that has developed between the Celina Police Department, the Celina City Schools and the students of our community. The students of Celina Senior High School have played a significant role in the Celina Police Department being recognized for its safety belt programs, including being awarded two free police cruisers. Those cruisers bear similar green and blue stripes. The Celina Police Department will continue to culture this partnership to insure that future generations recognize the need for working together to insure the safety and growth of our community.

The eagle that appears on the patch stands for the strength and boldness of both the Celina Police Department and the community its officers are sworn to protect. For it is from that community that our police department obtains its own strength. It also signifies the importance of wildlife to our community. Not only do sportsmen come to this area for hunting and fishing, it is also an important ecological center with a major waterfowl refuge located on the southwest shoreline of Grand Lake. The entire community takes great pride in the return of the American eagle to our area as Grand Lake has now become home to two pairs of nesting eagles.

Lastly is sun. As you look out over Grand Lake from Celina this would be a rising sun. While the date on the patch pays honor to our past, the rising sun reminds us of our responsibility to the future, to the dawn of each new day. Members of the Celina Police Department who proudly wear this patch serve their community to insure that it is a safe haven for parents to continue to raise their children with the morals, integrity and honesty that the American mid-west is known for.

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The Celina Police Department's new shoulder patch designed was unveiled to the public at the 2009 Celina Lake Festival Parade. To honor the past and present of the department, both retired officers and the youngest recruits were present. The parade entry included, in the Ford Expedition cruiser;

Retired Police Chief LeRoy Felver

Retired Police Sergeant Larry Regedanz

Retired Police Patrolman Jack Fickert

Former Police Auxiliary Officer Rick Woods

On the rear of the parade entry with the banner displaying both the Celina Police Department's former shoulder patch and the new one that will now be worn are the youngest members;

Ptl. Gabe Bartlett, who has been an officer with Celina PD since September of 2007

Student Intern Jeremy Buening, who is a full time Criminal Justice student at Findlay College

Ptl. Bartlett did serve as a dispatcher with the Celina Police Department for a year before becoming an officer. Jeremy has worked with the Celina Police Department as a student intern for the last three summers.

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The continuing investigation into the death of Michelle Riley from suspected illicit drug use has led to additional indictments by the Mercer County Grand Jury. The Celina Police Department presented additional information from their follow up investigation to the Mercer County Grand Jury on Thursday afternoon. That information led to a 13 count indictment against Phillip Roy Schmidt, (59), 630 1/2 E. Livingston Street, Celina. Schmidt is being accused of providing the drugs the led to the death of Michelle Riley to her husband, Brett Riley.

The indictment includes four counts of Involuntary Manslaughter, two counts of Reckless Homicide, three counts of Corrupting Another with Drugs, two counts of Trafficking in Drugs and two counts of Illegal Possession of Drugs. Schmidt was taken into custody on the indictment Friday morning and is being held in the Mercer County Jail.

Michelle Riley was found dead in her home by her children on June 9, 2009. Brett Riley, (42), was found unconscious at the same time. He was transported to the hospital by an emergency squad where he was admitted and treated for a drug overdose. The June session of the Mercer County Grand Jury issued indictments for Brett Riley in connection with his wife's death.

Phillip Roy Schmidt is expected to appear in the Mercer County Common Pleas Court on Monday.

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The Celina Police Department has filed formal charges in connection with the death of Michelle Riley, (36) late Tuesday night. Riley's body was found in her home by her 11-year old son. Her husband, Brett Riley, (42), was in the same room with her. He was unresponsive, but still breathing. He was transported to Coldwater Hospital where he was admitted for treatment.

Brett Riley was released from Coldwater Hospital on Thursday morning. At the time of his release he was taken into custody by Celina Police officers on five felony charges. They are as follows:

The charges are based on a state complaint, but the case will be taken to the Mercer County Grand Jury. The next Grand Jury convenes later this month.

Information obtained during the emergency response to the incident and following investigation revealed that Brett Riley had obtained a fentanyl patch and shared it with his wife, Michelle, as a recreational drug. Both parties chewed a portion of the patch to obtain a heightened affect from the drug it contained. Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance. It is available in a patch form that, when placed on the skin, allows for a slow release of the pain -control drug.

This is the fourth confirmed fentanyl death the Celina Police Department has investigated since 2005. In two of those three previous cases the investigations led to formal charges being filed.

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The Celina Police Department is investigating a suspicious death that was discovered late Tuesday night as members of the Celina Fire Department responded to a squad run at 428 E. Livingston St. The squad was dispatched after a 9-1-1 call reporting that there were two unresponsive subjects at that address at 11:14PM. Officers arrived to find Brett Riley, (42) and his wife Michelle Riley, (36) in a TV room at the residence. Michelle was dead when officers arrived. Brett was unresponsive but still breathing. He was transported to Coldwater Hospital where he was admitted. He has regained consciousness since being admitted to the hospital.

Mercer County Coroner Dr. Timothy Heinrichs ordered Michelle Riley's body to be removed and transported to the Montgomery County Coroner's Office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. A search warrant was issued for the residence and officers were at the home until after 4:00AM searching for evidence that would assist in determining what had happened.

The 9-1-1 call had been placed by a 14 year old daughter of Brett & Michelle Riley. She and her 11 year old brother had discovered their parents unresponsive just before placing the call. The Celina Police Department will work with Dr. Heinrichs' office and the Montgomery County Coroner's Office as they continue the investigation.

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