Citizens urged to serve on Cleveland Community Police Commission to help hold department accountable

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - It was mandated that officers undergo additional training following a federal consent decree because the Cleveland Division of Police was found to have used excessive force, including deadly force.

Also, as part of the decree was the requirement that a Cleveland Police Community Commission be formed.

The commission was designed to give city residents a voice in how the department is run by making suggestions to be included in the way residents are policed.

Latoya Logan, co-chair of the commission, said you might think you don’t have enough information to serve and understand these large topics and policies, but you do.

“If you’re interested, if you care about what’s happening in your community, if you’ve ever thought for a second, ‘Why do they do this?,' maybe they can do it this way, we need you at the table because you’re the community," Logan said. "You’re the citizens who are on the ground who are interacting.”

Both Logan and her co-chair Sgt. Robert Jackson said it’s time to replace some of the commission’s members after they’ve served their four-year volunteer term.

Jackson said the city is reaching out to citizens asking them to get involved to help hold police accountable.

“Most recently, the search-and-seizure committee has been wonderful. They’ve rewritten five policies for the division of police that we’re currently training on now," Jackson said. "A lot of it is really news to the police officers, but it’s much needed and it’s what the community wanted and their voice was heard in this.”

“Even if you don’t want to be a commissioner, I think it’s important to note this. We have many committees that you can serve on and still be involved and offer your voice and move this process forward," added Logan.

The deadline to apply for one of the spots on the commission is coming at the end of August.

Three members are chosen by the three organizations representing police: The Fraternal Order of Police, Black Shield and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association.

The rest of the commission is made up of citizens appointed by the city.

Copyright 2019 WOIO. All rights reserved.