Police Chief Michael Wayne Allen
(1943-2026)

 

 

Mike was born July 31, 1943, the first of at least three children born to Frank A. and Lois F. (Dorman) Allen of Fairmount. Before his first birthday, Mike’s father joined the Cincinnati Police Division as a Patrolman. Mike attended Western Hills High School until October 1960 and most of his senior year at Portsmouth High School, graduating in June 1961.

Three months later, Mike was back in Cincinnati and joined the Cincinnati Police Division as its 77th Police Cadet on September 11, 1961. After a week of orientation, he was assigned to Central Station (the city’s jail in City Hall). Six weeks later, October 29, 1961, he was transferred to District 2 (314 Broadway). He returned to Central Station on June 27, 1962. Cadet Allen resigned on November 2, 1963, after two years of service, for employment with the Deer Park Police Department. Three months later, Patrolman Frank Allen also resigned for other employment.

Sometime after July 1964, Mike was appointed Patrolman of the Cheviot Police Department. By 1968 he had been promoted to Sergeant. On November 1, 1968 and until May 20, 1969, he was appointed Acting Police Chief. By May 1970, he was the spokesman for the rank and file with regard to wage negotiations. They did not go well, and he warned Cheviot City Council that one member had already left the police department because of low wages and benefits and three others, including a sergeant, had put in applications elsewhere. He was the sergeant.

Sergeant Allen joined the Blue Ash Police Department in 1970 as a Patrolman. In 1973, he took the civil service examination for Police Chief but finished second. By 1975, he had been promoted to Lieutenant. On November 25, 1992, he was promoted to Police Chief. About then, he also was selected as the Vice Chairman of the Drug Abuse Reduction Task Force (DART) Executive Board. On February 1, 1996, Chief Allen was elected Vice President of the Hamilton Count Police Association (HCPA). He chaired the HCPA Training Committee for years and was a member of the HCPA’s all-police band, the Most Wanted. Chief Allen retired in 2002 with over 40 years of service to three committees. Between him and his father, they had had 58 years of continuous law enforcement service.

Not content to end his service, he ran for Deer Park City Council and on November 4, 2005, and again in 2007, was elected, each time garnering the most votes of the four candidates. He ran uncontested in the 3rd Ward in 2009.

In 2014, Chief Allen moved to Summerfield, Florida

Chief Allen died on March 28, 2026 in Florida.

He is survived by his wife, Renee Allen.

Chief Allen was cremated and there will be no funeral services.

 

_{© 2026 – All rights reserved to LT Stephen R. Kramer RET and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum}