Our Patrol/Operations Bureau provides 24-hour, seven-day-a-week emergency and non-emergency law enforcement response to the community.
The Patrol/Operations Bureau provides assistance with community events held in the public rights-of-way and that require traffic control—such as Fourth of July, the Columbus Marathon and 5K runs/walks. Permits for special events much be obtained from the City Manager’s Office, entailing a review and approval process by various departments, depending on the scale of the event. Call the Special Events Request line, at 614-583-5164 for details.
Holiday Shopping Safety Reminders
It’s official, the holiday season is upon us and that means more time spent shopping for gifts and preparing for family gatherings. As you ready to grab the credit cards…
Scioto Pointe Drive Closure for Construction Work
Scioto Pointe Drive will be closed under the Trabue Road Bridge starting Monday, December 2, 2024, for approximately 14 days, weather permitting. The closure is necessary for drilled shaft construction,…
Texting while driving is a primary offense in Upper Arlington. State law already bans texting, but it is only a primary offense for those under 18 (those over 18 must have committed another offense). Upper Arlington’s ban allows Police to pull drivers over and cite them for texting while driving without having to guess their age.
You can set a good example for young drivers by not using your cell phone while driving.
- Drivers who send/receive texts while driving are 23% more likely to be involved in a crash than other drivers.
- Cell phones are involved in 1.6 million auto crashes per year.
- Texting while driving is six time more likely to cause an auto crash than driving while intoxicated.
- The distance traveled taking your eyes off the road for five seconds at 55 mph is the equivalent of the length of a football field.
The Bike Patrol began in Upper Arlington in 1994. It was designed to provide a more personal response to the needs of the residents and to supply patrol activity in congested areas such as shopping centers and parks.
The benefits of Bike Patrol are numerous. Bike Patrol provides officers the opportunity to utilize their talents in Community Oriented Policing techniques and assist in setting an example for residents as safe cyclists using equipment properly. The Bike Patrol also allows officers to patrol areas heavily congested with pedestrians, such as shopping centers, festivals, and parade routes.
In 2019, City Council passed legislation concerning under speed vehicles, including golf carts. These vehicles must meet various Ohio Department of Public Safety standards – such as having working lights, seatbelts, adequate brakes, windshields, and rear-view mirrors. The vehicles must be titled and registered in compliance with Ohio Revised Code 4511.215, must be inspected and approved for use on public streets by an authorized law enforcement agency (UA Police can provide this service), and can only be used on streets with speed limits of 25 mph or under.
Initially, a five-day exemption period was included over the Fourth of July holiday, but this was rescinded in 2023 by Ordinance 49-2023 for safety reasons. In summary:
- Licensed and inspected golf carts are always legal on UA streets, consistent with City Code.
- Golf carts or any other under speed vehicles are not allowed on paths in public parks or on park fields.
- Families and organizations that choose to rent non-street legal golf carts over the Fourth of July holiday period should be aware that any non-street legal golf cart is subject to being stopped, impounded and the driver ticketed if it is being driven on an open public road. This excludes the use of golf carts in the Fourth of July Parade and on any streets that are closed for a block party.
Legislation Overview
| Under-Speed Vehicle (USV) Use Requirements | Year-Round | |
| USVs can only be operated on streets with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less (the crossing of higher-speed streets at intersections is permitted). NOTE: Upper Arlington’s speed requirement is less than State code. |
Required |
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| The owner of the USV must have it inspected and approved for use on public streets by an authorized law enforcement agency (be sure to inform them of UA’s additional seatbelt requirement) | Required | |
USVs should comply with all Ohio Department of Public Safety requirements, and must include the following equipment:
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Required |
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| Seatbelts are an additional requirement and must be located at each designated seating position. | Required | |
| Title and registration must be in compliance with Ohio Revised Code. | Required | |
| USVs must be operated within the State and Upper Arlington vehicular laws. | Required |
Under-speed vehicles, including golf carts, are defined as three- or four-wheeled vehicles weighing under 3,000 pounds, that cannot exceed a speed of 20 mph.
The Upper Arlington Police Division can perform these vehicle inspections. Please call the Police Desk, at 614-583-5160, during regular office hours before bringing your vehicle to the Police Station, in order to ensure that an officer will be available. Should you have your vehicle inspected by another agency with the intent to use it in UA, you must have safety belts included in your inspection, per City of Upper Arlington ordinance (not all agencies will perform these inspections).
If you have any questions about this legislation or see an under-speed vehicle in our community that is clearly in violation of the requirements, please contact our Police Division by completing the form below, or by calling 614-583-5410.
City legislation requires convicted sexual offenders to register with the City’s Police Division if they live and/or work within the City’s boundaries. It also prohibits convicted sexual offenders from living or working within 1,000 feet of any school premises, licensed daycare facility, preschool, public park/swimming pool, library, or playground.
While these laws are designed to help protect families, parents should continue to be aware of and take proactive steps to protect their children from such dangers. The Police Division offers various educational seminars on stranger danger, Internet Predators and other relevant topics, and can direct you to useful resources and Web sites.
Resident Notification
In addition to the notification requirements within the Ohio Revised Code, residents will be notified by the Police Division within five business days of learning that a convicted Tier III sexual offender resides or works within 1,000 feet of your residence. Such notification will be via hand carried notification, mailing or electronically. In most circumstances, this notification will be via US Mail.
Requirements for Convicted Sexual Offenders
Residence and Employment Restrictions
- An offender may not establish a residence or occupy residential premises or be employed within one thousand (1,000) feet of any school premises, licensed daycare facility, preschool, any public park, swimming pool, library, or playground. A private residential pool does not apply.
Registration Requirement
- An offender must register personally with the Upper Arlington Police Chief within five days of coming into the City.
- If the offender is domiciled, whether permanently or temporarily for more than three consecutive days, the offender must register.
- If the offender is employed, whether permanently or temporarily for more than three consecutive days or for an aggregate period of 14 or more days in a calendar year, the offender must register.
Failure to register is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
Definitions
Offender Types
- Sexual Predator: A person convicted of, or who has pleaded guilty to, committing a Sexually Oriented Offense and who is likely in the future to commit additional Sexually Oriented Offenses. Sexual Predators are subject to registration/verification requirements (at 90 day intervals) for life unless a judge modifies or terminates the Sexual Predator designation.
- Child Victim Predator: A person convicted of, or who has pleaded guilty to, committing a Sexually Oriented Offense on a person under 18 years of age, not the child of the person committing the offense, and who is likely in the future to commit additional Sexually Oriented Offenses. Child Victim Predators are subject to registration/verification requirements (90 day intervals) for life unless a judge modifies or terminates the Child Victim Predator designation.
- Habitual Sex Offender: A person convicted of, or who has pleaded guilty to committing a Sexually Oriented Offense, and who previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one or more Sexually Oriented Offenses. Habitual Sex Offenders are subject to registration/verification requirements annually for a period of 20 years after release.
- Habitual Child Victim Offender: A person convicted of, or who has pleaded guilty to committing a Sexually Oriented Offense, on a person, under 18 years of age, not the child of the person, and who previously has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to one or more Sexually Oriented Offenses. Habitual Child Victim Offenders are subject to registration/ verification requirements annually for a period of 20 years after release.
- Sexually Oriented Offender: A person convicted of, or pleaded guilty to committing a Sexually Oriented Offense, but who has not been designated as a Sexual Predator or Habitual Sex Offender. Sexually Oriented Offenders are subject to the registration/verification requirements annually for a period of 10 years after release.
Registered Offenders in Upper Arlington
These offenders have currently complied with all applicable notification requirements. For more information on these offenders you can access the Franklin County Sheriff sexual offender registry.
Name: Bradley Michael Boschert
Category: Tier I Offender
Offense: Importuning
Date of Birth: 04/13/1970
Home: 3414 Carisbrook Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Work: 3414 Carisbrook Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Name: Zachary Clemens
Category:
Offense:
Date of Birth: 06/28/1985
Home: 1552 Longeaton Drive, Columbus, OH 43220
Work: Not Employed
Name: Mark Brian Jones
Category: Tier II Offender
Offense: Pandering Obscentiy
Date of Birth: 09/16/1962
Home: 2483 Fishinger Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Work: 1 Nationwide Boulevard, Columbus, OH 43215
Name: James Patrick Sprouse
Category: Sexually-Oriented Offender
Offense: Rape
Date of Birth: 11/01/1965
Home: 2534 Shrewsbury Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Work: Not Employed
Name: Benjamin Allen Teague
Category: Tier II Offender
Offense: Gross Sexual Imposition
Date of Birth: 01/12/1970
Home: 1935 Belgrave Drive, Columbus, OH 43220
Work: Not Employed
Name: Joshua Boe Vacsi
Category: Tier II Offender
Offense: Pandering Obscenity Involving a Minor
Date of Birth: 10/28/1978
Home: 1777 Riverhill Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Work: Not Employed
Name: Jack Douglas Warmolts
Category: Tier I Offender
Offense: Sexual Contact (No Consent); Drugging Victim
Date of Birth: 08/10/1994
Home: 2567 Crawford Road, Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Work: Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 South High Street, Columbus, OH 43215
- Background Check- for NON-Solicitors (PDF 636KB)
- Background Check- for Solicitors (PDF 95KB)
- Crash Report with Instructions (PDF Form 1MB)
- NCJ Privacy Rights
- Police Action Request Form (662 KB)
- Police Services (PDF 660KB)
- School Bus Violation (PDF Form 118KB)
- Sexual Offender Requirements (PDF 223KB)
- UAPD Ride-Along Application (PDF 469KB)
- UAPD Staff Organizational Chart (PDF 69 KB)
Police Division (3)
Safety Town is coordinated by the Police Division, in cooperation with the Fire Division and Parks & Recreation Department. Program details can be found in the Spring/Summer Parks & Recreation catalog or by visiting the Police Division – Support Services Bureau – Safety Town section of our website.
JUNE 2022 UPDATE: With the start of renovations to the Police Division offices at the Municipal Services Center, the Drug Collection Unit has been decommissioned and the division is no longer accepting old or unused prescription drugs. The closest alternative is at the CVS pharmacy at Kingsdale.
DEA Drug Take Back Events
Each fall and spring, the Police Division takes part in national drug take back events coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). These events provide an easy way for residents to drop-off old and unused prescription drugs drive-thru style at the Municipal Services Center parking lot. Dates are posted on our event calendar and published in City newsletters.
Visit the Police Support Services Bureau – Drug Disposal section of our website or call 614-583-5150 with questions.
The City does not accept applications for Policy Officer or Firefighter positions through our website. Both positions must first schedule a test with National Testing Network. The process to apply for Police Officer or Firefighter positions are detailed in each posting.