Frequently Asked Questions

Make an overnight parking request online or by calling 216-491-1234. If you do not request overnight parking, your vehicle may be ticketed.

For streetlight outages, please use the Report a Streetlight Outage form and we will share the information with the Illuminating Co., which is responsible for our community's streetlights.

For problems with traffic signals and street signs, please use the Report a Problem with a Traffic Signal or Street Sign form.

Call 911 or 216-491-1234 to report suspicious activity. 

Please note, the 216-491-1234 is the preferred number to call when using a cell phone, as it will route your call directly to our dispatch center. Calling 911 on a cell phone will first reach Cuyahoga Emergency Communications System (CECOMS).

Call 911 or 216-491-1234 to report a crime.

Please note, the 216-491-1234 is the best number to call when using a cell phone, as it will route your call directly to our dispatch center. Calling 911 on a cell phone will first reach Cuyahoga Emergency Communications System (CECOMS).

Call 216-491-1234 to report a public nuisance.

Call 216-491-1234 to report a traffic incident.

You may pay your traffic violations in person at the Shaker Municipal Court at 3355 Lee Rd. from 8:30 am-4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Parking and waiverable traffic tickets — i.e. tickets that do not require you to appear in court — may also be paid online at the Court's website. After hours, you may pay parking and waiverable traffic tickets at the Shaker Heights Police Department, also at 3355 Lee Rd. After hours payments are cash only.

Find information on requesting police reports here.

The Shaker Heights Police Department does digital and ink rolled fingerprinting for residents and non-residents. Visit our page on Fingerprinting to get information on fees and making an appointment.

Dogs are required to be on leashes in certain parts of the City, including Horseshoe, Lower Lake, and Southerly parks. Certain other parks and playgrounds may prohibit dogs altogether; signage will designate those parks and playgrounds that prohibit dogs. Outside these parks (and on private property), dogs are required to be on leashes or under the control of their owners at all times so as not to create a nuisance.

The Shaker Heights Police Department does not offer background checks for the general public. However, the Department does offer fingerprinting services. Visit our page on Fingerprinting to get information on fees and making an appointment.

Violations of certain City laws (i.e. ordinances) at a residential or commercial property may be declared nuisances if they are engaged in by (a) the owner, (b) any occupant, or (c) any guest of the owner. If the Police find that two or more violations occur within an 18-month period, the owner may be sent a notice declaring the property a "nuisance," and then after a third violation, the Police may send a notice and charge police response costs for the third and any subsequent violation within 18 months. (The cost to owners is the hourly rate for each officer responding x 75% x number of hours, plus $20 per hour for the cruiser.)

Nuisance activity includes:

• Animal odor, noise
• Disorderly conduct, disturbance of the peace
• Drug abuse
• Gambling
• Health, safety, or sanitation
• Obstruction of official business
• Sex offenses, public indecency, procuring, or prostitution
• Assault, menacing
• Criminal damaging, endangering, mischief
• Littering or deposition of waste
• Weapons, explosives, firearm, or handgun
• Noise
• Fireworks

Owners may file an appeal with the Chief of Police for any notice sent under this law within 30 days of the date of the notice. If the Chief determines the facts do not support the declaration of nuisance, the Chief will rescind the notice. If the Chief finds that the facts do support the declaration, the Board of Appeals will hear the appeal. An appeal will not stop the City from taking enforcement action or pursuing criminal prosecution. On appeal, in order to overturn the nuisance declaration, the owner must show that:

• He/she was not the owner at the time of any one of the nuisance activities
• He/she had knowledge of the nuisance activity, but took action to stop the activity from occurring
• He/she had no knowledge, but as soon as he/she received notice, the owner took action to stop it from happening again.

Call 216-491-1220 for information about towed vehicles.

To retrieve your towed vehicle, you must visit the Shaker Heights Police Department at 3355 Lee Rd. in person. Please bring a valid driver’s license and the vehicle title. Once you present these documents, you will receive a Tow Release Form. Take this form to Interstate Towing, located at 16008 Libby Road, Maple Heights. Upon payment of the necessary fees, your vehicle will be released to you. If you have any questions, please call the Shaker Heights Police Department at 216-491-1220. For information about towing fees, which must be paid in cash, please contact Interstate Towing at 216-475-0099.

Visit the Shaker Municipal Court’s website to get phone numbers, hours, and location.

Court fines can be paid in person at the Shaker Municipal Court at 3355 Lee Rd. View the Court’s webpage for hours, directions, and additional information.

Call 216-491-1234 to request a welfare check.

The Department makes every effort to identify owners of found property that has been turned into or recovered by the Department. However, if the owner is not located after 90 days, any unclaimed property is either destroyed or auctioned.

Property releases are by appointment only. Please call 216-491-1269 to schedule.

Release Hours:
Monday – Thursday
8:00 AM – 2:30 PM
(Excluding holidays)

To claim property, the following is required:

• A government-issued photo ID

• Proof of ownership

• Signed release paperwork

If a third party is claiming the property:

• They must present Power of Attorney

• A government-issued photo ID

Note: Notarized letters are not accepted in place of Power of Attorney.

Unclaimed property held by the Shaker Heights Police Department for more than 90 days is either destroyed or auctioned. Auctions are typically held once per year at the Shaker Heights Police Department (3355 Lee Rd.). Auctions are open to the public; there is no set list of auctioned items available. To receive alerts about upcoming police auctions, subscribe to City ENews and/or follow the Department on Facebook.

Call 216-491-1234 to report dog incidents.

All bicycle operators and passengers over five years of age must wear properly sized ANSI or SNELL approved helmets with fastened chinstraps.

A bike license allows the Shaker Heights Police Department to reunite you with your bike, in the event your bike is stolen. Learn how to get a license on the Bike Licenses page.

If your stolen licensed bicycle is recovered, we will contact you using the information you provided when purchasing your license. Unlicensed recovered bicycles are kept at the Shaker Heights Police Department at 3355 Lee Rd. and sold at a year-end property auction if not claimed. Call the 24-hour, non-emergency line, 216-491-1220 for more information.

Dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired prescription drugs at the Drug Drop Box located in the lobby of the Shaker Heights Police Department, 3355 Lee Rd. The lobby is open 24/7. Pills only; no needles or liquids. Properly dispose of liquid medication by mixing it with coffee grounds, cat litter, sawdust or something similar to make it undesirable or unusable. Once the liquid is in an unusable state, place it in the regular trash.

Please contact the Shaker Municipal Court at 216-491-1300.

View our Citizens Police Academy page for detailed information about the program.

Members of the press may contact Commander John Cole at john.cole@shakeronline.com or 216-491-1246 with inquiries.

Bonds may be posted at the Shaker Heights Municipal Court at 3355 Lee Rd. during regular business hours. Visit the Court’s website for hours, directions, and more information. When the Court is closed, bonds may be posted in cash only at the Shaker Heights Police Department, also at 3355 Lee Rd.

Call the 24-hour, non-emergency line, 216-491-1220, for questions/information.

Please call Extra Duty Solutions at 206-408-8114 to hire an off-duty Shaker Heights police officer.

The Shaker Heights Police Department is pleased to participate in community events. Please use the Community Service Request form to make your request.

The Shaker Police Department encourages residents to sign up for Vacation Watch, so that the police are aware that you are away and your home is temporarily unoccupied. Providing this type of notice enables the department to better manage resources, while monitoring activities in, and around, the City.

In 2014, City Council enacted legislation to prohibit the use by all drivers, except in certain limited circumstances, of hand-held (including lap-held) electronic communications devices, including cell phone use for phone calls and texting. View the ordinance.

The Shaker Heights Police Department responds to more than 2,000 alarms annually. Unfortunately, about 50 percent of these are false alarms. This diverts resources away from more important police matters in our community.

The City's codified ordinances require home and business owners to pay fines for excessive false alarms. Specifically, two false alarms are allowed within a two-year period. A third false alarm during this period will result in a $50 fine; each additional false alarm will result in a $100 fine. There is an appeals process.

Preventing False Alarms

• Make sure everyone who uses your alarm knows how to operate it; this should include knowing how to clear a wrong code if you make a mistake on the keypad.
• Lock all protected windows and doors before you leave.
• Keep pets, balloons and fans away from sensors.
• Use a reputable alarm company, which will regularly service your system.
• Notify the alarm company immediately if you believe your system is not functioning correctly.
• If you re-enter your home because you have forgotten something, turn off the alarm and re-set it when you leave.
• Cancel an alarm you know to be false; you will not be fined if the alarm is cancelled before the police arrive.