Cleveland Expands Civilian Oversight of Police
An amendment to create the Community Police Commission passed overwhelmingly this week. It would be the final authority on the extent of discipline for police officers and other police employees.
Landwebs
By an impressive margin of 59 percent to 41 percent, Clevelanders voted in favor of Issue 24, a charter amendment to establish more civilian oversight of the Cleveland Division of Police, reports Fox 8. The amendment creates the Community Police Commission, which would be the final authority on the extent of discipline for police officers and other police employees. It also has final say on policies for police recruitment, exams for new recruits, officer training, maintaining records and outreach efforts. Under Issue 24, the Civilian Police Review Board gets expanded duties like issuing complaints of alleged police misconduct and requiring investigation into all complaints. It also now oversees the Office of Professional Standards, which is an independent agency in the Cleveland Department of Public Safety and consists of only civilian employees. Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley said Issue 24 would make things worse by taking money out of neighborhood safety programs.
