CLEVELAND — Tempers flared at a recent meeting of the Cleveland Community Police Commission, and now two community groups are calling for one of the commission's members to resign or be removed.
The Cleveland Community Police Commission was established after voters approved Issue 24 in 2021. The commission's first meeting was this past January. It has the authority to investigate and hand down decisions related to allegations of police misconduct. It also has oversight powers related to police recruitment and training.
At a June 14 meeting, members discussed the roles of an executive director and other commission business.
During the conversation, Commissioner Alana Garrett-Ferguson said, "We're not here to make sure that the staff has their job as much as we're here to make sure that we are abiding by 115 (Cleveland Charter Section 115), that we are making sure that we are putting our city in a better place moving forward around police reform, accountability and actually supporting the community. That is not in any way, shape or form, meaning that we should be in the back pocket of just four families who do not make up the public and the population of a city that has over 300,000 people."
The last part of the commissioner's remarks didn't sit well with Brenda Bickerstaff, who helped write Issue 24, which voters approved, creating the commission. Her brother was killed by police in 2002.
"We're not in the bribing business. We don't bribe anybody, and nobody's in the pockets of us," Bickerstaff said. "It is imperative and critical that this commission move forward, learn the charter and learn the consent decree. These are important components they need when an officer comes in front of them for discipline," she said. "They are not even ready. This is six months going into seven months because of the chaos."
Friday, Bickerstaff delivered a letter to the federal judge overseeing police reform in Cleveland explaining why Black Lives Matter Cleveland and Citizens for a Safer Cleveland think Garrett-Ferguson should resign or be removed.
"During the meeting, Ms. Alana Garrett-Ferguson made statements on public record in which she insulted the families impacted by police violence, the community, and activists who worked diligently to ensure the commission devised under the Consent Decree would become a permanent and integral part of police accountability," the letter states.
Garrett-Ferguson reached out to News 5 early Friday evening. She said it saddens her that some are calling for her resignation or removal. She doesn't plan to step down and said having worked on getting Issue 24 passed; she remains committed to doing the commission's important work.
"I have done nothing wrong. I believe that being appointed to the commission… I believe I have to represent all of the community and not just a few individuals. It was never my intent to be hurtful or disrespectful," Garrett-Ferguson said.
She added that she's been targeted for months by some of the very people calling for her to step down.
News 5 called and visited the office of the Cleveland Community Police Commission for comment, but there was no response.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's office released the following statement regarding the June 14 incident.
"Mayor Bibb has faith in the commissioners and confidence that the new Community Police Commission (CPC) will be effective at carrying out the work outlined in charter section 115. That said, he is disappointed by what took place at the last meeting. Such behavior is not only disruptive but also undermines the integrity of the work. The Mayor expects that the CPC will cultivate a safe environment and a culture of trust and respect. The administration will continue to support the commission as it works to overcome challenges."
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
