Mayor Bibb, city of Cleveland seeking applications for the new Cleveland Community Police Commission..Mayor Bibb said that the new commission approved by Cleveland voters last year as Issue 24 at the ballot box "has real teeth with new disciplinary power"

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor, investigative reporter

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The  city of Cleveland is seeking applications for the new Cleveland Community Police Commission with applications due by April 30.

The city's fourth Black mayor who took office in January, Mayor Justin Bibb, 34, said that residents are encouraged to apply to join the new commission by submitting an application to mayor.clevelandohio.gov/police-reform

"We're proud to open applications for 13 members of the new commission who will be carefully selected following a fair and rigorous application and evaluation process," said Mayor Bibb in a statement to  Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader. "This is one of the most important steps in the process to implement police reform, which will serve as a model for the nation on strengthening citizen oversight."

The new community police commission will launch once a majority of members are appointed to four-year terms, replacing the existing commission. Applications will be screened for eligibility based on criteria outlined in Charter Section 115-5 with community input before Mayor Bibb makes recommendations to city council for approval.

Commission members in general must be Cleveland residents and at least two members must come from community organizations focused on civil rights. Also, at least one member must be an attorney or have relevant lived experience of the criminal justice system, mental illness or homelessness.

A product of Cleveland's public schools and former banker with a law degree, Bibb won a nonpartisan mayoral runoff in November over then city council president Kevin Kelley. And while Bibb campaigned in part for police reforms and accountability, Kelley, who is White and an attorney, became somewhat of a police spokesman during his campaign, a campaign that saw Bibb trounce Kelley  in the city's first open election since now retired Frank Jackson, a four-term mayor and the city's third Black mayor, won office in 2005 for his first four-year term.

Bibb said that the new commission will have "real teeth with new disciplinary powers to stamp out misconduct." The mayor, however, stressed that he wants police accountability in a manner that is fair to the citizens of Cleveland as well as the city's police force.

"This is not about targeting police officers, it's about setting a higher ethical standard in our police department to create a culture of respect and accountability," the mayor said. "Residents should feel safe and assured that calling the police won't escalate into violence or brutality and police officers who do the right thing should not be afraid."

The new commission replaces an old commission run primarily by police brass and the mayor's office. It was established last year by Cleveland voters when they overwhelmingly passed Issue 24, a charter amendment and police reform initiative on the ballot that establishes the new commission and was pushed by community activists and the Ohio ACLU, and by Tamir Rice's mother, Samaria Rice, and two other Black women who have lost loved one's at the hands of Cleveland police. Notwithstanding applicable provisions of the city's union agreements with the police and other law enforcement unions, it puts key decisions on police policies and the discipline of officers in the hands of a civilian-led board community police commission That commission seemingly has the authority to enact policies, override the police chief or safety director on disciplinary matters, make decisions on what training officers receive, and exercise authority over hiring practices.

It remains to be seen if litigation will ensue regarding any conflict as to the authority of the new commission and the mandates under the collective bargaining agreement between the city and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, the labor union for rank and file Cleveland cops.

The city and the U.S Department of Justice are parties to a court-monitored consent decre for police reformse that was implemented in 2015 after a host of police killings of Black people since 2012, including the 137 shots shooting deaths of Malissa Williams, 30, and Timothy Russell, 43, in November of 2012, and 37-year-old Tanisha Anderson and  12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014. Others killed by Cleveland police over that time span include Brandon Jones, rapper Kenneth "Ball" Smith, and Daniel Ficker, who was White. The latter three were under 28 years old when police snapped out their lives.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.

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