Since 2014, the City of Cleveland has been under a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to address a finding that the division exhibited an unconstitutional pattern or practice of excessive force. The investigation that led to that finding was sparked by the 2012 shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. A 23-mile car chase involving 60 police officers ended in a parking lot in East Cleveland when 13 officers fired 137 shots into a vehicle, killing both Russell and Williams. Both were unarmed.
The consent decree requires the Cleveland Division of Police to reform its policies, practices, and procedures to address accountability, use of force, crisis intervention, and more. The Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC) was also established at this time, bringing 13 community voices into the process of police reform. The CPC's role was deepened after voters passed Issue 24 in 2021--giving the commission final say in disciplinary proceedings and policing policy police discipline cases and officer policies. The consent decree also calls on the community to be a part of the reform process through service in various groups and ongoing engagement through public forums.
The consent decree itself is broad reaching, its work significant, and we have heard many perspectives on it over the last decade, most recently in a conversation about the legacy of Tamir Rice. Join us to hear about progress made, opportunities ahead, and challenges still to overcome from two of the leaders tasked with implementing the reforms: Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd, and Dr. Leigh Anderson, Executive Director of the Mayor's Police Accountability Team.
Panelists
- Leigh R. Anderson, Ph.D
Executive Director, Police Accountability Team, The City of Cleveland - Dorothy Todd
Chief, Cleveland Division of Police
Moderator
- Abbey Marshall
Reporter/Producer, Ideastream Public Media