The city of Cleveland鈥檚 new police oversight body, the Community Police Commission (CPC), held its second meeting Wednesday. Disputes about how quickly to move forward were on full display.
Early on, the commissioners, who receive small stipends for their work but are essentially volunteers without experience as public officials, grappled with the procedures for running a public meeting.
A dozen people attended the Wednesday meeting at a city-owned recreation center on Cleveland鈥檚 East Side. One of the attendees asked whether the commission was ready to act if a Cleveland police officer killed someone that night.
In response, some members said that even if that did happen, that鈥檚 not something they thought they would have to address immediately.
鈥淲e are in the process of being trained,鈥� said Commissioner Jan Ridgeway. 鈥淏ut on the other hand, other investigative services must be done before it gets to us anyway.鈥�
The Cuyahoga County Sheriff鈥檚 Department would handle the early investigation to decide about criminal charges if it鈥檚 a fatal police shooting.
The Internal Affairs Unit at the Cleveland Division of Police would conduct its own investigation. And the two other civilian oversight agencies in Cleveland, the Office of Professional Standards and the Civilian Police Review Board, would also have their say before CPC responds.
鈥淲e actually would be looking at what the city does, that鈥檚 what鈥檚 in the charter,鈥� said Commissioner Piet van Lier, who chaired Wednesday night's meeting.
While the Community Police Commission will not directly investigate incidents, it does have ultimate authority over police discipline, including in cases that could result in criminal charges against officers.
They can subpoena witnesses and city officials. They can overrule the police department and mayor鈥檚 office decisions on discipline.
Commissioner John Adams disagreed with the idea of waiting for those other processes and the commission鈥檚 training sessions to play out.
鈥淥ne of the challenges of the commission is we have to learn to walk and chew gum at the same time,鈥� Adams said during the commission meeting.
He added they could be getting trained on parts of their work, like conducting an evidentiary hearing where witnesses are called, or Cleveland police policies, while also fulfilling other parts of their role.
鈥淏e transparent and update the community about what we鈥檙e doing,鈥� Adams said. 鈥淚 feel like at a certain point that鈥檚 the most important thing is that we are open and honest about what we鈥檙e doing and where we are.鈥�
But the meeting showed they鈥檙e also not ready to speak as a commission even on matters that don鈥檛 directly involve Cleveland police officers.
Later in the meeting, Commissioner Alana Garrett-Ferguson handed out a statement on the Memphis police killing of Tyre Nichols in January.
鈥淭he Civilian Police Review Board, all the other entities, and they are also independent under Charter Section 115, has made a statement in regards to Tyre Nichols,鈥� Garrett-Ferguson said.
Garrett-Ferguson said there was some discussion right after Nichols鈥� death among commission members about making a statement. But nothing came from it.
Garrett-Ferguson said she sent around a statement Tuesday night and didn鈥檛 hear back. So she asked to have the statement discussed during the meeting.
There was some confusion about how to move forward.
Commissioner Gregory Reaves was against the idea.
鈥淲hen this was happening, we hadn鈥檛 even met for the first time,鈥� Reaves said. 鈥淪o how could we possibly come together and speak with one voice? And now, how can we possibly say something that hasn鈥檛 already been said?鈥�
Some members were unsure whether the full commission meeting was the right time and place to discuss the statement. Some thought too much time had passed since Nichols鈥� death.
Adams pressed the commission to figure out a process and say something publicly.
鈥淎s a person who knows the history, this case is different. We鈥檙e supposed to be different. We cannot be afraid to act. And that鈥檚 my frustration so far on this commission,鈥� Adams said.
Eventually, the statement was put to the side until a later date.
Another issue left open was whether to hire a full-time lawyer to work with the commission or rely on lawyers from the city鈥檚 Law Department.
Advocates are pressing the commissioners to hire their own lawyer, cautioning that the city of Cleveland will have different interests than the commission, including protecting itself against future lawsuits, during investigations of police officers.
Commissioners will meet again next week in their committees to continue creating the rules and procedures they鈥檒l need so they can be a fully functioning commission.
