The monitoring team responsible for overseeing the consent decree — the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and the Cleveland Division of Police — slammed the City of Cleveland in its latest semiannual report.

Why it matters: Police made no progress in the final six months of 2023, after improving compliance in at least a dozen areas in the previous reporting period.

• Monitor Karl Racine directed the brunt of his criticism not at police, but at city leadership, who, he argued, improperly denied the monitoring team access to data and information crucial to their work.

What they're saying: "By any measure, this static performance — akin to running in place — is insufficient," wrote Racine.

• "This is especially so given the urgency that the Cleveland community understandably demands."

Catch up quick: Cleveland police have been under a consent decree since 2015, when the Justice Department found that officers had engaged in a "pattern and practice" of unconstitutional policing.

• The division must meet compliance in a number of areas — including use of force, crisis intervention, community policing, accountability and oversight — before the consent decree is lifted.

The other side: City spokesperson Tyler Sinclair tells Axios that the administration "strongly disagrees" with the monitor's assessment and that allegations of unwarranted delays and limited database access were "patently false."

• "The City made our intentions VERY clear in that we wanted to provide [the monitoring team] with unredacted access to all records and tried to resolve this issue by requesting that we jointly approach the court," Sinclair wrote in an email.

The latest: At a hearing Monday, city officials told Judge Solomon Oliver that they believe providing unredacted records could break federal law.

• When the city made the same argument last month, Oliver sided with the DOJ.

Inside the room: At a community meeting Tuesday evening, Cleveland residents — including Samaria Rice, the mother of Tamir, who was shot and killed by police in 2014 — noted that it has been nine years since the five-year consent decree was put into effect.

• "I don't know how you can say [CDP] is committed to earning trust," Rice said. "If they were, they would be in compliance."

What's next

The NFL draft kicks off tonight in Detroit giving NFL teams a chance to secure their futures and improve their playoff chances for next season.

Why it matters: The draft brings an end to the polarizing Deshaun Watson trade saga for the Browns.

• In 2020, Cleveland traded first-round draft picks in 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick to the Houston Texans for Watson.
• Without a first-round pick this year, the Browns will either have to trade up for a top prospect or get creative with their other six picks.

Zoom in: The Browns won't make their first pick until tomorrow. They have the No. 54, 85, 156, 206, 227 and 243 picks.

• Cleveland will probably prioritize defense and could look to a player like Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. or Michigan's Kris Jenkins if they're available in the second round.

Zoom out: Tonight's first round will be all about quarterbacks — USC's Caleb
Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye are expected to be the top three picks.

• Ohio State star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. could go as high as fourth.

What's next: Barring another trade, the Browns will have a first-round pick again in 2025.

How to watch: The draft will air live tonight at 8pm on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.

Go deeper: Downtown Detroit businesses brace for NFL draft crowds

🏛️ The City of Cleveland has officially transferred operation and management of the West Side Market to nonprofit Cleveland Public Market Corp. (WKYC)

🤫 Signal Cleveland accused Akron prosecutors of trying to silence a reporter by making them a witness in an arrest case. The reporter has since been removed from the witness list. (Signal Cleveland)

🏥 The City of Lakewood has submitted an updated plan to break ground on the space formerly occupied by Lakewood Hospital by year-end. (News 5)

🎭 Playhouse Square's 2024-25 Broadway in Akron series includes "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," "Come From Away," "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Hadestown." (BroadwayWorld)

🤣 Katt Williams

The intrigue: The popular stand-up comedian brings The Dark Matter tour to the Wolstein Center at 8pm tomorrow. Tickets start at $59.

💭 Our thought bubble: See it. Williams is one of the funniest comedians of his generation and isn't shy about speaking his mind.

🩰 Sleeping Beauty

The intrigue: Cleveland Ballet performs its rendition of the classic fairy tale at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace with performances tonight through Saturday. Tickets start at $28.

💭 Our thought bubble: See it. If you have yet to experience Cleveland Ballet, this timeless tale is a nice gateway.

🎸 "Thank You, Goodnight"

The intrigue: Bon Jovi gets the tell-all docuseries treatment with "Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story," which premiers tomorrow on Hulu.

💭 Our thought bubble: Skip it, unless you're a Bon Jovi diehard. Four hourlong episodes seem like a bit too much.