At the end of this year, the Cleveland Community Police Commission will be saying goodbye to nine of our dedicated commissioners. Shandra Benito, Pastor Kyle Early, Cait Kennedy, Gregory Reaves, Teri Wang, and Sharena Zayed will all have served two-year terms, which are set to expire in December. Charles Donaldson, Alana Garrett-Ferguson, and Jan Ridgeway have chosen to resign from their roles before the completion of their four-year terms, which were set to expire in December 2026.
We want to thank all exiting commissioners for their hard work and commitment to creating equitable police policies that protect all Cleveland residents. In the nearly two years since they were appointed, they’ve tackled everything from use of force to community surveillance and unlawful search and seizure. Even so, the CPC has hardly scratched the surface when it comes to monitoring and creating new standards for the Cleveland Division of Police.
Now, it’s time for a new cohort of commissioners to join Co-Chair Dr. John Adams, James Chura, Audrianna Rodriguez, and Piet van Lier as they build upon the CPC’s work thus far. The city is accepting applications through Friday, September 6. Applicants must be Cleveland residents and at least 18 years old. They must also fulfill one of the criteria below:
Be, represent, or be knowledgeable of, as applicable, the issues of those who are:
- Â Limited-English speakers, homeless, or who have mental-illness and substance-abuse disorders
- Â Directly impacted by police violence, or be a family member of a person who has been killed by police
- Â Been incarcerated and exonerated where police were involved in the wrongful conviction or incarceration
- Â Gun-violence survivor or be a family member of a person killed by gun violence
- Â Attorney with experience representing victims of police misconduct or criminally prosecuting police misconduct
Current commissioners whose terms end this year are welcome to reapply; they will be subject to the same rigorous application process as anyone else. After receiving community feedback, Mayor Justin Bibb will recommend individuals to fill the open positions. Cleveland City Council will issue final approvals.
For more information on how to apply to become a commissioner for the CPC, visit the City of Cleveland’s website. We look forward to welcoming all the new faces, perspectives, and voices.