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