CPC Recommendations of Inspector General Candidate

May 15, 2023

The Community Police Commission (CPC) held a special meeting on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 with the candidate for Public Safety Inspector General as part of the interview process for the position. Per 115-5 of the City Charter, the CPC makes recommendations to the Mayor regarding the hiring of this position.

The interview was held virtually via Zoom. Members of the public who joined the meeting were encouraged to use the meeting chat feature to share their feedback. The CPC asked for additional input about the candidate from the public unable to join the meeting to be sent by email.

Comments from the public and CPC commissioners were submitted to the Mayor’s office for consideration.

Watch the interview:

Community Q&A: CPC Forum on Police Reform History

October 25, 2021

On Tuesday, October 19th, the Community Police Commission (CPC) held an in-person and live streamed presentation to facilitate community dialogue about the future of policing in Cleveland by taking a detailed look into its past. The CPC’s 100 Years of Police Reform (1922 – 2022) presentation walked through a timeline of the City’s police reform efforts, starting with the first major documented local effort that dates back to the year 1922. 

The in-person presentation concluded with an open community forum to comment on the information presented or to ask the Commission questions. Responses to attendees questions are below.

Responses to Forum Questions & Comments


The police are responsive to crime in Cleveland. This typically means that when called for service they attempt to determine if a crime occurred and subsequently may solve the crime via an arrest of a suspect. The crime prevention efforts of the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) as examined in our 100 year study appeared to be preliminarily negligible. This one area that we recommend a deeper analysis in the future. 


The City is not required to be in 100% compliance with the Consent Decree for Federal monitoring to end. The current Federal monitoring will end when Judge Solomon Oliver, or a successor, signs off on it. However, that can happen no sooner than two years after Judge Oliver, or a successor, agrees that the City is ready to move into the assessment phase, which has not happened yet.

Consent Decree paragraphs 401-403 describe the end of the Consent Decree:

¶ 401 – “This Agreement will terminate when the City has been in Substantial and Effective Compliance with the search and seizure provisions for one year and with all of the 96 remaining provisions for two consecutive years. “Substantial and Effective Compliance” means that the City either has complied with all material requirements of this Agreement, or has achieved sustained and continuing improvement in constitutional policing, as demonstrated pursuant to this Agreement’s outcome measures.”

Here’s a link to the full Consent Decree (pdf): https://clecpc.org/wp-content/uploads/US-v-Cleveland-Consent-Decree.pdf

If you would like to see how much progress has been made so far, see the CPC’s analysis of the most recent Monitoring Team Semiannual Report: https://clecpc.org/wp-content/uploads/CPC-Quantification-of-the-CPMT-9th-Semi-updated-072021.pdf


While discrimination and racism have always been a problem, there were never formalized Jim Crow type laws in Cleveland. However, police were often called when private business owners adopted segregation practices or when there were disputes at public pools or parks. Segregation by design and practice actually became worse after WWII because of redlining and white flight.

Cleveland is now one of America’s most segregated major cities. It is well publicized that Black and brown citizens were not given equal treatment in Cleveland even after the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and disproportionately experienced police enforcement and brutality.


Challenges with recruitment have been well documented throughout the CDP’s history. We will be exploring this topic at greater depth over the next few months.

Infighting, cliques, and favoritism have been mentioned as causes of bad morale, and likely bad recruiting, in the past, but other problems, such as discrimination against Black and brown recruits and concerns about pay and benefits, have also had an impact on morale and recruiting.


While we cannot speak to the perspective of every young person, we will know that police reform is working when, in general, young people do not feel like they are excluded from the conversation and, more importantly, do not feel like they are being targeted for being the “wrong” demographic. And for those who are still minors, they should not feel like they have to suddenly mature into an adult whenever they encounter a peace officer who should be there to protect them.

Recently there have been some steps, in policy at least, that have been taken. The CDP adopted a new General Police Order (GPO) concerning Youth Interactions, The CPC played a large role in its development. The intent of this is for officers to engage with young people in an age appropriate way. Also, the CPC has formed a Leaders of Tomorrow (LoT) Working Group that consists of Clevelanders aged 18 to 26, so that policy recommendations can be shaped by those who disproportionately bear the impact of negative policing.


By directly inviting them to the table. Young people are often excluded, intentionally, from conversations about policing. They are often seen by those in power as “the” problem. Changing that is the best way to give young people a voice in police reform.


Currently, the CDP is very reluctant to cooperate with outside organizational studies. It does allow access to the Federal Monitor associated with the Consent Decree. The CPC has had its own struggles with transparency form the CDP, which had to be resolved by court order (1:15-cv-01046-SO Doc #: 382).

Local media has also reported problems with gaining access to public records, particularly as it relates to use of force (www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2021/10/22/cleveland-police-use-of-force-data-documents-still-difficult-to-get-from-police).

We are not in a position to speculate as to why. 


The Cleveland Public Administration Library is located in City Hall, right off of the main rotunda. cpl.org/locations/public-administration-library

It is free for everyone to use. The librarians and archivists there are very helpful and eager to assist you. However, you cannot check out most of the documents; you can, however, use their copier for a fee or take pictures of documents with your phone. 

Also, all of the documents cited in the presentation will be available on our website in an educational section we are currently developing. The reports and documents will be organized by decade and also by topic for easy access. A link to that landing page will be available soon.


We are still analyzing the data on this topic. This will be included in our ongoing educational project examining the last 100 years of police reform in Cleveland.


Meaningful, lasting change will come about when there are substantial institutional reforms. The city needs consistent civic and police leadership who are familiar with best practices and willing to modernize as necessary. Also, the CDP should be led by a civilian leader who comes from outside of the CDP, ideally one who will be able to stay through multiple administrations. The CDP needs to build into its institutional memory the norms of adaptation and reform, as opposed to the norms of reticence to change and institutional inertia.

How this, or any, reforms are accomplished is up to the citizens of Cleveland, who are the ones who can implement real change. They have the power of their vote and the ability to pressure elected leaders to implement much needed reforms. Citizens must be diligent, as police reform is an ongoing process.


Cleveland is unique in that it was the first city to have a comprehensive analysis done of its policing practices, the 1922 study of Criminal Justice in Cleveland. This could have positioned Cleveland as a leader in police reform, but the study’s recommendations were never adopted.

Since then, policing in Cleveland has been the topic of what is likely an unprecedented number of studies, both local and national, that recommended reforms. These reforms were never fully implemented or met with limited success.

Three New Members Appointed to Cleveland Community Police Commission

On August 26, Mayor Frank Jackson administered the oath of office to Marquesa D. Stephens, Luis Reyes and Edwin Moore, appointing them to the Cleveland Community Police Commission. Read their bios below:

Marquesa D. Stephens

Marquesa D. Stephens studied and graduated from Cuyahoga Community College and Cleveland State University. Her studies have allowed her to gain priceless knowledge of law enforcement and courts policies and procedures, as well as an in-depth understanding of social dynamics and topics important to society today. She has worked for critical agencies throughout the county of Cuyahoga such as Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland State University, and the Cleveland Heights – University Heights City School District. She currently holds a position as Safety and Protections Service Officer with the Cleveland Public Library. She is a single Black mother of two children. Stephens looks forward to learning and offering what she can to make and keep Cleveland safe for the future.

Pastor Edwin Moore

Pastor Edwin Moore is a native Clevelander and he established the “Way of Escape Ministries” on the city’s West side. Pastor Moore has long been committed to service in the community personally and professionally. He has over 25 years of work experience with agencies such as Applewood Centers, Catholic Charities and Beechbrook. After successfully completing studies in criminal justice/security management, he is currently overseeing security services at Signature Health Inc., a non-profit FQHC providing mental health, addiction recovery and primary care services to patients across Northeast Ohio.

Luis Reyes

Luis Reyes has been a Clevelander since he moved here as a 3-month old from Puerto Rico in 1982. Mr. Reyes is the Finance Manager for Ganley Hyundai of Parma, where he works with people from all walks of life on a daily basis and strives to makes sure all are treated equally. Mr. Reyes is the father of two girls and husband to an amazing wife. He describes himself as a friend to many. Mr. Reyes joins the Commission feeling that it is his duty to help better this city.

Applications for CPC Commissioners Open Now

The City of Cleveland and the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio are seeking qualified applicants to fill the remaining terms for two vacancies on the Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC). Applications received may also be considered for other CPC vacancies that occur in 2021.

To be eligible for appointment to the vacant positions on the Commission, applicants must live or work in the City of Cleveland. The appointment period to fill is through September 2023. Candidates may complete an online application on the City of Cleveland website or obtain paper copies at City Hall entrances and at Cleveland Public Library branch locations. Commission members are not compensated and serve in a volunteer capacity. Applications are due July 7, 2021 at 5 p.m.

Commission members are picked by an independent selection panel appointed by Mayor Frank G. Jackson in accordance with the consent decree. The panel reviews all applications and recommends new CPC members. Members are then appointed to the Commission by the mayor to fill out the appointment term.

Application Deadline:
July 7, 2021 at 5:00pm

About the CPC

The CPC is a 13-person body created as part of the Consent Decree between the City and the Justice Department in 2015. The purpose is to foster improved police and community relationships and provide community input on the agreed reforms. The CPC consists of 10 civilian representatives and one representative from each of the three police union organizations: the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Black Shield. The current vacancies are for the civilian representative positions.

The 10 appointed civilian members include representatives of faith-based organizations, civil rights advocates, business/philanthropic groups, organizations representing communities of color, advocacy organizations, youth or student organizations, academia, and individuals with expertise in the challenges facing people with mental illness or the homeless. Learn more about the Commission and its work.

The mandate of the Commission is to: 

  1. Make recommendations to the Chief of Police and the City of Cleveland, including the Mayor and City Council, on policies and practices related to community and problem-oriented policing, bias-free policing, and police transparency.
  2. Work with the many communities that make up Cleveland for the purpose of developing recommendations for police practices that reflect an understanding of the values and priorities of Cleveland residents. 
  3. Report to the City and community as a whole and provide transparency on police department reforms.

How to Apply:

  1. Online: Click here for the online application. The online application can be submitted by email to selectionpanel@city.cleveland.oh.us, or it can be printed and submitted by hand delivery or by regular mail. 
  2. In Person: A printed paper copy of the application form can be obtained at Cleveland City Hall or your nearest branch of Cleveland Public Library. 

How to Submit a Completed Application: 

  1. By Email: Complete the PDF application,  then email the completed application as an attachment to the following email address: selectionpanel@city.cleveland.oh.us. Every application submitted by email will receive a confirmation email. If you did not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam folder. If you cannot locate the confirmation, please resend your application.
  2. Hand delivery: Hand deliver a completed application on or before July 7, 2021 to one of the drop-off boxes that are located at the security desks at the two entrances to Cleveland City Hall (601 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114), between 8 a.m. and 4:30p.m.
  3. U.S. Mail: Mail a completed application, with the envelope having a postmark date of on or before July 7, 2021 to:

Attn: Commission Selection Panel
Office of the Mayor, Room 202
Cleveland City Hall
601 Lakeside Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114

 
If you have trouble completing and/or submitting this application, please contact the CPC or email:
selectionpanel@city.cleveland.oh.us
    

The CPC’s Work Continues During the Pandemic

 May 5, 2020

This is an uncertain and worrying time for the citizens of Cleveland. We are still not through this emergency, but, as Governor DeWine said, in the coming months we will resume some of our normal day-to-day activities.

The work continues

The Community Police Commission will eventually resume our public meetings, but in the meantime there is still necessary work being done to help the City institute the reforms mandated by the Consent Decree. We are still channeling community input into policy recommendations, including reforming the police disciplinary process. We are still working with our community partners to get vital feedback from the citizens of Cleveland, and to help advance necessary reforms.

Upcoming work groups

In the coming summer months we expect to start three new work groups that will focus on Officer Wellness, Youth, and a return to the Staffing Committee with a particular focus on Homicides. We also expect to reconvene the Community Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP) Work Group in the early fall.
While we expect to publish our recommendations for the disciplinary process soon, the Pursuit Policy recommendations are on hold due to the pandemic. Additionally, during this time, we are still working on our own research and reports to evaluate the police reform accomplishments and needs to date.

Your feedback is needed!

Though we cannot meet in public in large gatherings for the foreseeable future, we still need your feedback to help inform policy recommendations. To that point, our standing Accountability Work Group finds that accountability is not just about Discipline but also Training.
The work group is currently evaluating the new training programs of the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP). We need your feedback as to how the training may have affected your day-to-day interaction(s) with CDP officers. To do that, please take a moment to complete this survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/CPC-CSS-2020.

Your feedback is vital to the success of police reform in Cleveland.

Thank you, and stay well.

—————————–
Sgt. Richard Jackson, Rev. Frederick Knuckles, Co-Chairs

Coronavirus / COVID-19 Information and Resources

As we navigate through uncharted times, know that the CPC’s first priority is to the health and safety of the Cleveland community. In response to COVID-19 and the major impact it’s had on our community, we are sharing the latest information on how the State of Ohio and City of Cleveland are responding to this global pandemic to keep our community safe. This is a rapidly changing situation, so please confirm information on this page by contacting organizations directly.

Information

General information about COVID-19 is available on the CDC website

When and How to Wash Your Hands: www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

Ohio Department of Health: coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19

Cuyahoga County Board of Health: www.ccbh.net/coronavirus

Cleveland Department of Health: www.clevelandhealth.org

COVID-19 Updates from the City of Cleveland

In accordance with Mayor Jackson’s Proclamation of Civil Emergency, the City of Cleveland continues to take numerous precautions across multiple departments and divisions amid increasing cases of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Read the latest updates from the City of Cleveland on COVID-19 protocols and affected city services on their blog: clecityhall.com

Community Resources

Community development organizations around the city are creating list of available community resources for residents, including food and financial assistance, in response to the coronavirus.

Cleveland's East Side

Cleveland's West Side

Detroit Shoreway Community Development Organization & Cudell Improvement, Inc. 
www.dscdo.org/coronavirus

Metro West Community Development Organization
www.metrowestcle.org

University Circle, Inc.
www.universitycircle.org/covid-19-updates

West Park Kamm’s Neighborhood Development: 
westparkkamms.org/west-park-resources

Downtown

CPC Elects New Co-Chairs

February 21, 2020

Rev. Frederick Knuckles and Sgt. Sgt. Richard Jackson were elected to be the Cleveland Community Police Commission’s co-chairs during Friday’s full commission meeting.

Rev. Frederick Knuckles

Rev. Frederick Knuckles has lived or worked in the City of Cleveland for over 50 years. He has been a pastor of the New Fellowship Church for 30 years and serves a moderator for the Progressive Baptist Association. Mr. Knuckles currently serves as Program Manager of the “Building Strong Families for University Settlement” in the Slavic Village Community and is an advocate for the homeless community.

Sgt. Richard Jackson

Sgt. Jackson is a returning member of the Commission. He is a 30-year member of the Cleveland Division of Police and has nearly 20 years of experience in police supervision. Additionally, he has extensive advanced organizational leadership training from organizations such as the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Ohio Police Officer Training Academy (OPOTA), and National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).

Watch Video of the Commission Meeting

CPC Commissioners Start New Term

November 3, 2019

On November 1, 2019, Mayor Frank Jackson administered the oath of office to the new and returning Commissioners of the Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC) in City Hall.

The 13 volunteer Commissioners are chosen by a selection panel to represent Cleveland’s many diverse communities in the reform process of police policies and practices. The Commission is looking forward forward to continuing the work outlined under the consent decree with the community as the commission begins a new term.

The names of the new Commissioners are:

  • LaToya Logan
  • Gordon Friedman
  • Rev. Frederick Knuckles
  • Dr. Stephanie Hinnershitz
  • Dr. Megan Testa
  • Lewis Katz
  • Harriet Hadley
  • Mayele Ngemba
  • Dr. Terry Echols
  • Victoria Marion Sgt. Richard Jackson –Black Shield
  • Lt. (Ret.) Gail Maxwell –Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
  • Det. Jeff Follmer –Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA)

Watch the swearing-in ceremony here:

Analysis of Cleveland Police Disciplinary Arbitrations

Background

For this report, quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed on the court-filed rulings made by third party arbitrators for disciplinary cases brought by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA) against the City of Cleveland for every year between 2014 and 2018.

This analysis looks for patterns in the rational for dismissing or sustaining the appeals, either partially or in full. Outcomes and awards will be broken down and analyzed by arbitrator, year, officer demographics, supervisor, performance history, charges against the officer, and original disciplinary action, if applicable.

These arbitrations are brought by either the FOP or CPPA against the City, with the unions disputing particular disciplinary action against one or more of their officers. In 2014, changes were made to the disciplinary matrix of the Cleveland Division of Police. It is important to remember that not all disciplines are brought up to arbitration, and that the unions are careful which cases they send, as these cases can be used as precedent later. The research questions of which cases are chosen and why is outside the scope of this document. 

Summary of Findings

  • The majority of cases are sustained, either partly or fully, with the Unions prevailing approximately 67% of the time.
  • It is possible that arbitrators’ desire for “balance” might be skewing the cases more in favor of being sustained.
  • Evidence suggests that white officers are more likely to have their cases sustained than officers of color, but more data is needed before any firm conclusion can be drawn.
  • There is not enough data to determine if there is a difference in outcomes by gender, but it appears that women might be more likely to have their cases sustained then men. 
  • Rank seems to have little influence on outcome.
  • The majority of disciplinary procedures were initiated by the administration rather than the officer’s immediate supervisor.
  • Despite some arbitrators suggesting that it does not matter, performance history appears to have a strong influence on outcome; those officers whose performance history is mentioned by the arbitrator were more likely to have their cases sustained. 
  • Level of discipline had a significant effect, with Class I and II offences more likely to be sustained than Class III. 
  • The arbitrators’ explicit rationale for the decisions were very consistent across the board, in that almost every arbitrator appealed to both precedent and adherence to the letter of policies.

Related Information

What is Arbitration

Arbitration is an out-of-court resolution of a dispute between two or more parties parties to a contract, decided by an impartial third party, the arbitrator.

"137 Shots" Arbitration Cases

The police chase and fatal shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams in 2012 resulted in the discipline of several police officers, 24 of which were taken to arbitration. The arbitration cases are listed below.

Involved CDP Officer: Sgt. Patricia Coleman, Sgt. Randolph Daley, Sgt. Brian Chetnik, Sgt. Matthew Putnam

Involved CDP Officer: Sgt. Mark Bickerstaff, Lt. Jason Edens, Sgt. Matthew Gallagher, Sgt. Brian Lockwood, Sgt. Richard Martinez

Involved CDP Officer: P.O. Scott Sistek, P.O. Cynthia Moore, P.O. Randy Patrick, P.O. Paul Box, Det. William Salupo, Det. Michael Rinkus, P.O. Michael Brelo, P.O. Wilfredo Diaz, P.O. Michael Farley, P.O. Brian Sabolik, Det. Christopher Ereg, Det. Erin O’Donnell

Involved CDP Officer: Sgt. Michael Donegan, Sgt. Paul Wilson, Lt. Ulrich Zouhar