CLEVELAND — Editor's Note: The above video features a previous Consent Decree conversation moderated by 3News' Russ Mitchell
With a focus on the Cleveland Community Police Commission and community engagement, the United Way of Greater Cleveland and the NAACP's Cleveland Branch Wednesday night hosted the last monthly Consent Decree Community Conversation of the year.
The Consent Decree is a shared agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that requires the Cleveland Division of Police to commit to ongoing engagement with the community and to make a number of fundamental changes to its policies, practices and procedures. Tonight's conversation focused on community engagement, recruitment and diversity.
It was also the first such conversation since the passage of Issue 24, which will crease a commission of citizens who will decide discipline for police officers. Mayor-elect Justin Bibb supports the measure, while his opponent Kevin Kelley was against it.
"The Cleveland Division of Police will consult with the Community Police Commission and other community stakeholders on strategies to attract a diverse pool of applicants," organizers said.
You can re-watch the entire conversation in the player below:
The consent decree was mandated in 2015 following a 21-month long investigation by the DOJ. During that inquiry, federal officials concluded there was reasonable cause to believe that city police engaged "in a pattern or practice of using excessive force in violation of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."
Darrielle Snipes, Multimedia Journalist for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District News Bureau, moderated the conversation. Other panelists included:
- Cleveland Police Det. Felton Collier
- Kareem Henton, Black Lives Matter Cleveland
- Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heyer
- Cleveland Public Safety Director Karrie Howard
- Earl Ingram, Director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland
- Victor Ruiz, Cleveland Police Monitoring Team