By Joanna Richards
More than 100 people have applied for a spot on Cleveland鈥檚 Community Police Commission. The body will act as a liaison between the community, the city and the police, and help oversee the reforms required under Cleveland鈥檚 agreement with the U.S. Justice Department.
A Selection Panel appointed by Mayor Frank Jackson is charged with choosing 10 commission members to serve four-year terms.
The postmark deadline for mail-in applications was midnight Thursday, so it鈥檚 possible some applications may still trickle in for awhile.
The commission must include advocates for civil rights, youth, the mentally ill and people of color, business or philanthropic officials, someone from the faith community and an academic.
But Colleen Cotter, a co-chair of the Selection Panel, and director of Cleveland鈥檚 Legal Aid Society said the panel has standards it wants to meet.
"Cultural competency is incredibly important for everyone on the Police Commission, and diversity is very important. No one single person can do this alone, so we鈥檙e focused on making sure that we have a strong group that brings a variety of perspectives and skills, and a group of folks who can really get things done,"
Three police organizations will also contribute members to the 13-member commission.
The Selection Panel must present its choices in a public meeting early next month. Cotter says that will likely be the week of Labor Day.