Cleveland consent decree under the microscope 10 years later
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It's been 10 years since the city of Cleveland entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform the police division.
Why it matters: It was supposed to last five, but the document — over 400 paragraphs — has proven difficult to implement in full.
State of play: Progress has been slow, though steady, to improve officer use of force, crisis intervention and community and problem-oriented policing.
Driving the news: Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) has had enough.
- He wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi last week asking that she consider dismissing certain federal consent decrees with local and state governments — including Cleveland's.
What they're saying: "Law enforcement offices need to be able to do their jobs and enforce the law without politicians holding them back," Moreno said in a statement.
Catch up quick: Cleveland's consent decree was the product of a 21-month federal investigation, which found a "pattern or practice" of excessive use of force by local police.
- The investigation was prompted by the 2012 crosstown police chase in which officers fired 137 shots and killed two fleeing victims.
Flashback: The current push to end or renegotiate consent decrees mirrors efforts during President Trump's first term.
- The Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association voted to endorse Trump in the 2016 election, in part because members felt the consent decree was too onerous.
- The union's then-president, Steve Loomis, met with Trump to communicate that the settlement agreement "wasn't working."
Mayor Justin Bibb, too, has wanted to get out from under the thumb of the consent decree.
- In 2022, shortly after taking office, Bibb said he would work "as quickly as I possibly can" to end the agreement and wanted to invest money spent on implementation "back into the community."
The other side: Karl Racine, the monitor appointed by the DOJ to oversee progress, told Ideastream that the consent decree has represented a "complete overhaul" of policies and that "notable progress" has been made.
The last word: Police chief Dorothy Todd, in a City Club panel Friday, said the consent decree had led to durable changes in the division's policies, training and culture.
- The Cleveland Division of Police was "completely different" from when she joined in 2000, she said.
What's next: Until directed otherwise, jurisdiction over the consent decree will remain in the hands of U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.