CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC) remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the Cleveland Division of Police is free from bias, accountable to the public it serves, and committed to constitutional policing—regardless of the outcome of the federal Consent Decree.
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent appeal of Chief U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.’s decision denying the City’s request to terminate the Consent Decree means the future of federal oversight remains uncertain. While the legal process continues, the Commission believes one thing remains clear: Cleveland must continue building an accountability system capable of standing on its own.
The question facing Cleveland is no longer simply when the Consent Decree will end. It is whether the City has built the lasting systems necessary to ensure the progress made over the past decade endures long after federal oversight is gone.
In his 74-page opinion denying the City’s request to terminate the Consent Decree, Judge Oliver concluded that doing so would be “premature.” While acknowledging the significant progress Cleveland has made, the Court emphasized that the Consent Decree “is not a checklist,” but rather “a framework for systemic change.” The Court found that several critical areas—including supervision, accountability systems, bias-free policing, community and problem-oriented policing, and the operational readiness of local oversight structures—have not yet demonstrated the sustained compliance necessary to ensure reforms will endure without continued federal oversight.
The Cleveland Community Police Commission shares that concern. Real reform is not measured by whether policies exist on paper or whether benchmarks have temporarily been met. It is measured by whether those reforms become embedded within the culture of the institution, withstand changes in leadership, and continue protecting both residents and officers years after outside oversight has ended.
Ultimately, the success of police reform will not be measured solely by court filings or compliance reports, but by whether Cleveland residents—regardless of race, neighborhood, or background—continue to trust that they will be treated fairly, respectfully, and constitutionally.
In 2021, Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved Issue 24, creating one of the nation’s strongest civilian oversight systems by granting the Commission final authority over police policy, training, and discipline. The CPC was designed to be a permanent pillar of accountability—not one that exists only while federal oversight remains in place.
Since then, the Commission has reviewed and approved police policies and training, conducted evidentiary hearings, strengthened disciplinary oversight, expanded community engagement, and continued building the systems necessary to carry out its charter responsibilities.
Judge Oliver has acknowledged the importance of the relationship between the City and the CPC and has encouraged continued dialogue regarding that partnership. The Commission welcomes that opportunity. As Cleveland prepares for a future without federal oversight, strengthening collaboration among the City, the Division of Police, and the Commission must be an essential part of that transition—not an afterthought.
Without durable systems of accountability, even well-intentioned reforms can erode over time. Cleveland has experienced that before. The goal now is to ensure history does not repeat itself.
The Commission calls upon the City of Cleveland, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Justice Department, the Monitoring Team, and community stakeholders to work together to ensure the transition from federal oversight preserves the progress made under the Consent Decree while strengthening the local accountability systems that will sustain constitutional policing into the future.
The Commission stands ready to fulfill the role Cleveland voters entrusted it to perform and to be an active partner in building the next chapter of police accountability in Cleveland.
Whether the Consent Decree remains in place for several more months or several more years, the Commission will continue strengthening its own policies, procedures, staffing, and oversight capabilities so it is fully prepared to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to it by the people of Cleveland.
“The Consent Decree was never intended to be permanent,” Executive Director Shelly Williams said. “Federal oversight will eventually come to an end. The measure of our success will not be when the Consent Decree ends, but whether Cleveland continues to uphold constitutional policing after it does. That requires strong institutions, independent accountability, transparency, and public trust. Those are the principles Cleveland voters demanded, and they remain the principles that will guide the work of the Community Police Commission.”