Cleveland Community Police Commission

The Cleveland Community Police Commission is a civilian oversight body with final authority on police policy, discipline, and training.

History

In the aftermath of the 2014 Killing of Tamir Rice, the 2015 United States Department of Justice consent decree showed a Cleveland Division of Police pattern of excessive use of force, established the Community Police Commission, and required a community policing model department wide rather than a designated unit.

The implementation of the consent decree has been met with resistance from the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association (CPPA), the labor union representing the city's patrol officers. In 2015, then-CPPA President Steve Loomis criticized aspects of the agreement, arguing that some provisions, such as allowing anonymous civilian complaints, violated the union's existing contract and could put officers in danger. The union's opposition to the consent decree was a factor in its decision to endorse Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election.

In 2021, Cleveland voters passed Issue 24, writing the Community Police Commission into the city charter.

Procedures

The mayor and City Council nominate the 13 commissioners, who investigate and make decisions about resident complaints. The commission can override police discipline decisions and direct the review board to investigate officers’ conduct. The city charter requires that the budget increase with either inflation or with the size of the police budget. The Commission must be demographically representative of the city.

Commission work

The commission has working groups to:

Commissioners do not need a public records request to obtain relevant information, with more access than the public.

On Dec. 19, 2023, the Commission voted to restrict the issuance of police policies without pre-approval, which Mayor Bibb called dangerous.

References

  1. 1 2 Walker, Larry J.; Brooks, F. Erik; Goings, Ramon B. (22 June 2017). How the Obama Presidency Changed the Political Landscape. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 979-8-216-09929-1.
  2. ↑ Vogelsang-Coombs, Vera (5 May 2016). The Political Ethics of Public Service. Springer. ISBN 978-1-137-49400-9.
  3. ↑ Walker, Samuel (2024-07-16). The Future of Police Reform: The U.S. Justice Department and the Promise of Lawful Policing. NYU Press. ISBN 978-1-4798-2604-9.
  4. ↑ Tighe, J. Rosie; Ryberg-Webster, Stephanie (2019-06-04). Legacy Cities: Continuity and Change amid Decline and Revival. University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 978-0-8229-8688-1.
  5. ↑ Atassi, Leila (2015-06-26). "Cleveland police union chief says some consent decree provisions will violate union contract". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2026-05-31. Loomis said some provisions in the consent decree between the city and the U.S. Department of Justice would violate the police union's contract.
  6. ↑ Battaglia, Kellen (2025-02-12). "Cleveland consent decree under the microscope 10 years later". Axios Cleveland. Retrieved 2026-05-31. The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association voted to endorse Trump in the 2016 election, in part because members felt the consent decree was too onerous.
  7. ↑ "Cleveland police oversight amendment Issue 24 passes by a wide margin". Ideastream Public Media. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  8. ↑ Vanisko, Anastazia (2024-02-06). "Cleveland Community Police Commission has final discipline say". Signal Cleveland. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  9. ↑ Tarlow, Peter E. (2023-04-21). Challenges to US and Mexican Police and Tourism Stability. Emerald Group Publishing. ISBN 978-1-80382-405-5.
  10. ↑ Casanova, Stephanie (2023-09-06). "Community Police Commission asks for resident input". Signal Cleveland. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  11. ↑ Documenters, Cleveland (2023-08-23). "Police commission to examine CPD technology, youth policies". Signal Cleveland. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  12. ↑ Documenters, Anastazia Vanisko, Cleveland (2023-09-02). "Cleveland police accountability agency heads explain their roles". Signal Cleveland. Retrieved 2024-03-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "Cleveland's Community Police Commission takes steps to assert its authority". Ideastream Public Media. 2023-12-20. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  14. ↑ Courtney Astolfi, cleveland com (2023-12-13). "Community police commissioner demands more oversight of Cleveland police policy. Mayor calls plan 'dangerous'". cleveland. Retrieved 2024-03-18.