CLEVELAND — Cleveland received 20 upgrades across multiple areas of the consent decree this reporting period, but "significant work remains," according to the 17th Semiannual Report from the Independent Monitoring Team overseeing Cleveland police reforms.
Where progress was made
In a letter co-authored by Christine Cole, the current Monitor, and Karl Racine, who resigned last month, the monitors stated that the city has achieved upgrades in Community Engagement, Use of Force, Accountability, Transparency, Office Assistance and Support, and Supervision.
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Their letter praised Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy "Annie" Todd and her leadership team for a "continued commitment to constitutional policing."
The letter also said the launch of several key assessments is "the light at the end oft he tunnel for which all have been waiting."
Assessments in three key areas — Use of Force, Crisis Intervention, and Search & Seizure — "nearing completion."
Read the report below:
Where challenges remain
However, the letter also stated that "persistent hurdles" remain at the administrative level. Several groups reported a lack of staff and resources to fulfill the consent decree's requirements, including the Community Police Commission and Office of Professional Standards, the letter said. Both provide oversight of the Cleveland Division of Police.
The letter also said CDP officers need "continued support", including maintaining upgrades to equipment and police districts. The administration has recently announced plans to spend $21 million to upgrade its five police districts, addressing long-standing problems.
Dispute with the city's law department, led by Law Director and Chief Legal Counsel Mark Griffin, continues to "distract" the city from achieving compliance with federally mandated police reforms. They wrote that the challenges to the monitoring process include access to information, assessment methodologies, and billing.
Why the Monitor resigned
In his resignation letter, Racine blamed issues with the city's law department for his departure.
"While I will not belabor the point, the simple truth is that the aggressive litigation posture taken by the City’s law department—including disputes over access to documents and databases, methodologies, and the Monitor’s fees—has caused substantial delays and injected a level of adversity that is inconsistent with the spirit of the Settlement Agreement," Racine wrote in the letter he submitted to U.S. District Court Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr., who oversees Cleveland police reforms.
Racine's resignation also followed an incident outside the JACK Cleveland Casino on Jan. 7 at 2:34 a.m.
An off-duty police officer working secondary employment at the casino requested a police car because Racine was "intoxicated" and "refusing to leave."
A police audio recording said Racine was already gone when officers arrived outside the building:
"A Mr. Karl Racine was here. He was pretty intoxicated. He was refusing to leave. He has now left the outside of the building,"
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In a statement to News 5 Investigators, Racine said that he was looking for a bite to eat, was denied entry, and returned to his hotel.
"I am confident that I comported myself respectfully and appropriately," he wrote.
Racine oversaw Cleveland Police reforms for two years.
Christine Cole was appointed as Interim Monitor.
Members of the federal monitoring team will present the 17th Semiannual Report to the Cleveland City Council’s Public Safety Committee during a meeting at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The team and city officials will also discuss the report during a status conference in federal court at 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The Cleveland Division of Police has been under federal oversight since May 2015, after a U.S. Department of Justice investigation found the department engaged in a "pattern or practice" of excessive force and raised concerns about additional civil rights violations.
