Courts and Crime
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Cleveland City Council releases its report on community-police relations
Residents say Cleveland needs community policing, and the Police Department says it will focus on CPR: Community Engagement in a Professional, Respectful manner
by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA |
Reporter
Kabir Bhatia | | |
 | | Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams says the department has a renewed focus on community policing | | Courtesy of M.L. SCHULTZE |
Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee today released a report on its community listening sessions held over the winter. And as WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia reports, it’s the first of many times council plans to look into residents’ concerns about police. |
LISTEN: Cleveland Council releases report on police-community relationsOther options:  MP3 Download (0:57)
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The listening tour took place in the wake of a Justice Department report last year claiming a pattern of unnecessary and excessive force by Cleveland police. More than 600 people showed up to listen and express concerns, and the new council report cites issues like a fear of police and a lack of community policing.
Councilman Matt Zone chairs the Public Safety Committee and says members will spend 2015 drilling down into the findings.
“We’ll have focused hearings around training; specialized training. Training for vulnerable populations: people with mental health issues, our LGBT community [and] homeless people. There’s a whole bunch of certified, specialized training that we need to be exploring and doing.”
Police plans
Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams told Zone and the committee his department plans to place a greater emphasis on community policing, with a new program called “CPR”: Community Engagement in a Professional, Respectful way.
“In my first year, the first thing I would say at roll calls is, ‘I require you to be professional and respectful.’ We've developed, basically, an acronym, CPR: community engagement, professionalism and respect. And every officer is going to know that model. We engage the community in professional, respectful way. Period.”
City Council also plans to introduce a bias-free policing ordinance, which focuses attention on crimes and not race. |
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