The City of Cleveland and the Justice Department on Tuesday signed a settlement agreement following months of negations spurred by several high-profile use of force incidents.
The 105-page consent decree outlines sweeping changes for the police department, including the appointment of a federal monitor to oversee the force.
"This is a historic agreement that will transform the way that the City of Cleveland is policed for years and years to come," Steven Dettelbach, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said during a press conference. "It will not only serve as a roadmap for reform in Cleveland, but as a national model for any police department that is ready to escort a great city to the forefront of the 21st century."
Mayor Frank Jackson said that while there were differences on specific points of the agreement, there was one thing all parties involved agreed on.
"We all agreed that we wanted to have a strong and safe community where policing -- both by the citizens and the police officers -- is done in the way that it has respect and accountability associated with it," he said.
Police Chief Calvin Williams told those in attendance that the central component of the consent decree is community policing -- something he noted that his department began training officers on about a year-and-a-half ago.
"If we don't ensure that our officers and our community have a better relationship, then a lot of what we're trying to implement now in the terms of this agreement are going to be hard to do," he said.
Besides community policing, the 1,5000-member department will be trained in use of force, de-escalation tactics, bias-free policing, scenario-based training and searches and seizures.
The agreement also will seek to add accountability and transparency through upgrades in equipment and technology, crisis intervention training, the Civilian Review Board, the Office of Professional Standards and the Community Policing Commission.
Paul Peluso | Editor
Paul Peluso is the Managing Editor of OFFICER Magazine and has been with the Officer Media Group since 2006. He began as an Associate Editor, writing and editing content for Officer.com. Previously, Paul worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD.
