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By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-chief-CLEVELAND, Ohio - Cleveland voters  approved Issue 24 on election night on Tuesday, a charter amendment put on the ballot by the progressive activist group dubbed Citizens For A Safer Cleveland that establishes an independent citizens review board to review and act upon excessive force and police misconduct cases independent of the collective bargaining agreement.

Issue 24 also makes changes to the Office of Community Standards and creates the Community Police Commission, which has the final say on police policies from recruitment to exams, officer training, and outreach efforts.

At press time  and with 94 percent of the vote counted, the measure was winning 60 percent to 40 percent, unofficial results of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections reveal.

The two candidates for mayor were divided over Issue 24. Council President Kevin Kelley opposed it as what he says is the wrong vehicle to seek to increase police accountability, and non-profit executive Justin Bibb, who won the runoff election on Tuesday over Kelley to become the city's fourth Black mayor, supported it saying Issue 24 puts more community voices at the table relative to police accountability and public safety.

The measure won along racial lines with 78 percent of Cleveland's majority Black east side wards supporting it and 40 percent of the city's largely west side wards  approving the initiative. The city is roughly 58 percent Black. Issue 24's strongest support came from east side ward 1, the city's largest Black voting bloc and the second greatest voting block of all 17 wards, 1 ward led by councilman Joe Jones, who overwhelming won reelection on Tuesday against activist and journalist Kimberly Brown.

The Cleveland NAACP and the Ohio ACLU were behind it  as   was nearly every activist group in Cleveland, and some Black elected officials and members of Cleveland City Council. But the main supporters of the controversial ballot initiative were community activists and grieving family members who say Cleveland police murdered their loved ones with impunity. "We're driving this initiative, the families," said Samaria Rice leading up to Tuesday's election.

Rice is the mother of slain 12-year -old Tamir Rice, whom Cleveland police gunned down in November of 2014 at a park and recreation center on Cleveland's west side. Founder of the Tamir Rice Foundation, she is also a founding member of Citizens For A Safer Cleveland along with others, including activists Brenda Bickerstaff, whose brother was killed by police nearly 20 years ago, Alicia Kirkman, whose son was killed by the cops some 14 years ago, and LaTonya Goldsby and Kareem Henton, co-founders of Black Lives Matter Cleveland.

Advocates of  Issue 24  say there must be civilian oversight of police conduct investigations—a change to regain the trust of the public and improve transparency of the department. They say that Issue 24 will ensure real police accountability, independent investigations, and powerful civilian oversight in Cleveland.

Those against the proposed charter amendment, including the Cleveland  Patrolmen's Association that represents the rank and file of Cleveland police,  have raised  concerns about placing power into the hands of non-elected civilians—which they say could steer officers away from the sector and undermine safety. Most of Cleveland's  largely White police force, however, consists of police who live outside of the boundaries of Cleveland.

The city of Cleveland and the U.S. Department of Justice are parties to a still pending consent decree for police reforms, which was adopted in 2015 behind the police killing of Tamir Rice and Tanisha Anderson in 2014, Malissa Williams and Timothy Russell in 2012, and so many other Blacks who have lost their lives at the hands of Cleveland police.

Learn more about Issue 24 here

Citizens For A Safer Cleveland represents a broad group of concerned organizations and individuals who are working together to strengthen community oversight of the police, deliver justice for our families, and ensure that our communities can feel safe and secure. The group is led by families who have lost a loved one to police violence, and supported by organizations like Stand Up For Ohio, Black Lives Matter Cleveland, NAACP Cleveland, Showing Up for Racial Justice-NEO, and the ACLU of Ohio.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper and Black blog, both also top in Black digital news in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannewsCLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.