Citizens For A Safer Cleveland

Safety Committee – May 13, 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Concerns About Expanding Role of Police Accountability Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Black Lives Matter Cleveland, Citizens for a Safer Cleveland, and The Angelo Miller Foundation Raise Concerns Regarding Expanding Role of Police Accountability Team

CLEVELAND, OH — Black Lives Matter Cleveland, Citizens for a Safer Cleveland, and The Angelo Miller Foundation are raising serious concerns following the presentation delivered by Dr. Leigh Anderson and the Police Accountability Team (PAT) during last week Wednesday’s Cleveland City Council Public Safety Committee meeting.

The presentation outlined a rapidly expanding role for PAT across multiple areas of Cleveland’s police accountability infrastructure, including:

disciplinary assessment preparation,
CPC records request tracking and auditing,
centralized data management,
interagency coordination,
oversight workflow development,
public engagement strategy,
mediation and conflict-resolution training,
and advocacy regarding the City’s compliance progress before the Department of Justice, Monitoring Team, and federal court.

Our concern is not that agencies are coordinating.

Our concern is that the presentation reflected what appears to be the gradual development of a centralized oversight-management structure operating around — and potentially over — independent accountability systems established under Section 115 of the Cleveland City Charter.

The Community Police Commission (CPC) was created to function as an independent civilian oversight body accountable to the public — not as a subordinate operational arm of the City administration.

Several components of the presentation require immediate public clarification.

PAT described:

centralized tracking systems for CPC records requests,
auditing processes related to document production,
development of RACI matrices defining oversight roles and responsibilities,
internal review processes tied to police discipline assessments,
and ongoing coordination frameworks involving multiple oversight stakeholders.

PAT also stated that part of its “path forward” includes advocating for recognition of the City’s compliance progress before the Monitoring Team, Department of Justice, and Court.

That statement is significant.

It confirms that PAT is functioning as an advocate for the City’s institutional compliance position.

Because of that role, it is essential that independent oversight bodies maintain clear structural independence, independent reporting authority, and independent access to information.

The issue raised by this presentation is not simply one of efficiency or collaboration.

The issue is whether Cleveland is moving toward what amounts to functional consolidation of oversight authority through administrative systems, workflow control, records management, and centralized coordination — even without formally eliminating independent oversight bodies.

That distinction matters deeply as Cleveland approaches a possible transition into a post-Consent Decree environment.

The public deserves clear answers to several questions:

Who controls the systems governing CPC records requests and accountability tracking?

Will PAT have authority over oversight timelines, workflows, or information-sharing processes?

Has the City conducted a legal analysis regarding how these expanding functions intersect with Section 115 protections?

What safeguards exist to prevent administrative coordination from becoming operational control?

What role will independent oversight bodies and the public have in shaping any long-term post-Decree accountability structure?

The presentation also highlighted expanded partnerships involving data analytics firms, academic institutions, mediation training organizations, and community engagement initiatives.

While research, training, and public engagement can play important roles in reform efforts, community trust cannot replace independent civilian oversight, public transparency, or accountability safeguards.

As Cleveland moves closer to the next phase of police reform, the City must ensure that efficiency and coordination do not come at the expense of oversight independence and public accountability.

Black Lives Matter Cleveland, Citizens for a Safer Cleveland, and The Angelo Miller Foundation are calling for:

Immediate public release of any governance frameworks, RACI matrices, or oversight coordination structures currently under development;

Public clarification regarding PAT’s authority, limitations, and relationship to independent oversight entities;

A formal legal review regarding Section 115 compliance implications;

Public hearings regarding any proposed post-Consent Decree accountability structure;

Written safeguards protecting the independence of civilian oversight bodies, including CPC access to records, reporting authority, and operational autonomy.

The future of police accountability in Cleveland must be decided transparently, publicly, and with full protection of the independent oversight structures that Cleveland residents fought to establish.

Media Contacts
LaTonya Goldsby
President
Black Lives Matter Cleveland
[email protected]

Brenda Bickerstaff
Citizens for a Safer Cleveland
[email protected]

Alicia Kirkman
The Angelo Miller Foundation
[email protected]

Safety Committee – May 6, 2026

Safety Committee – May 6, 2026 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

🚨 COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

Public Safety: Accountability in Cleveland
Community Forum & Panel Conversation

Cleveland is at a critical moment in shaping the future of public safety and police accountability. Decisions being made now will impact whether the progress of the last decade remains strong, effective, and sustainable.

Join us for an important community conversation bringing together leaders in oversight, accountability, and reform.

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📅 Date: Friday, April 25, 2025
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM
📍 Location: 3100 E. 45th St., Cleveland, OH

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🎤 Featured Panelists:
- Brandon Brown – Chair, Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB)
- Chenoa Miller – Civilian Police Review Board
- Tera Coleman – CPC Commissioner, Rules Committee Chair
- Shayleen Agarwal – Inspector General

🎙 Moderator:
Commissioner Maya Kincaid

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This forum will:
✔ Explore the current state of police accountability in Cleveland
✔ Discuss the role of civilian oversight bodies
✔ Create space for community understanding and engagement

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💬 “Cleveland is at a critical moment in its public safety accountability efforts…”

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🤝 Hosted by:
National Congress of Black Women
In collaboration with the Cleveland Community Police Commission Black Lives Matter Cleveland Angelo Miller Foundation Citizens for a Safer Cleveland

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🟢 FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Bring your voice. Bring your questions. Be part of the conversation.

What happens if the Consent Decree goes away? What does that mean for the systems we have in place—and how they might evolve if federal oversight ends?
Join us next Saturday for a community forum to learn more, ask questions, and be part of the conversation.
This event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there.

At this pivotal time in Cleveland, as discussions regarding the future of the Consent Decree and civilian police oversight advance, we are dedicated to organizing community engagement efforts and expanding our membership to ensure that community voices are prioritized and heard.

Why This Matters
As the City approaches decisions that will influence the future of police accountability, it is crucial for the community to communicate clearly, collectively, and Purposefully.

- Prioritize community concerns
- Highlight the significance of Charter Section 115
- Promote accountability, transparency, and justice

If you’re interested in joining the team fill out this form and join the conversation.

Citizens for a Safer Cleveland Membership Application At this critical moment in Cleveland, our community stands at a crossroads. As conversations shape the future of the Consent Decree and civilian police oversight, the voices of residents must not only be heard—they must be organized, informed, and powerful. We are building a collective of committe...

The Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC) is asking residents to share their experiences as part of a community survey that will be submitted to the Monitoring Team and reviewed by Judge Oliver as he considers whether to end the Consent Decree.

This is more than a survey—it’s your opportunity to contribute to an official process that will help shape the future of policing in Cleveland.

The survey takes just 5–10 minutes, and all responses are anonymous. Individual answers will not be shared publicly or tied to your name.

We want to hear directly from you:
How have your interactions with police been—positive or negative?
Do you believe Cleveland is ready to move forward without federal oversight?

The City has already made its case. Now, it’s the community’s opportunity to respond.

Your feedback will be included in a broader summary provided to the Court, ensuring community perspectives are part of the conversation—without identifying individual respondents.

Make your voice heard!

Tanisha's Law to change Cleveland mental health crisis response The law creates a new role in the Division of Emergency Medical Services to oversee response to calls about people in mental health crisis.

The discussion about the Consent Decree and Issue 24 (Charter Section 115) has become increasingly disconnected from the actual purpose, intent, and experiences of Cleveland residents affected by police misconduct. This is evident during past and recent public debates about the amendment’s language, the cost of the consent decree, how much money the federal monitors are making, and how police are not able to do their job, all of which have overshadowed discussions about racial disparities in policing. The fact of the matter is that the police have been in protest against any form of accountability or reform, and are pretty capable of doing their jobs.

100 years. That is how long it has taken to begin to hold the Cleveland Division of Police accountable for their actions. In 2015, the Cleveland Division of Police signed a federal consent decree with the Department of Justice, which mandated the establishment of a Community Police Commission. When Clevelanders voted for police accountability in November 2021, they did so with the understanding that the current systems were ineffective and that there was a significant lack of accountability for police misconduct. Unfortunately, the Consent Decree did not equip the Commission with adequate independence, authority, or resources to provide genuine civilian oversight. Charter Section 115 addresses these deficits and creates a fully funded, independent Community Police Commission with the authority to provide robust civilian oversight.

Come join us and learn more about our systems of accountability and civilian oversight in Cleveland established by the passage of Issue 24 now Charter Section 115.