I’ve been a criminal justice nerd for as long as I can remember. Raised in what I like to call “the CSI generation,” I’m fascinated by the inner workings of our legal system, whether it’s looking at courtrooms, police departments or the agencies meant to hold them accountable.
When I moved to Cleveland earlier this year, I was overwhelmed by the number of police oversight agencies, each with its own acronym to learn. I decided to follow my curiosity and attended my first Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) meeting in September.
CPRB oversees the Office of Professional Standards (OPS), an office that investigates resident complaints against Cleveland police. Together, CPRB and OPS are central to delivering on the city’s promise for stronger police oversight.
When I arrived, folks were sitting out in the hallway waiting for an executive session to end. Executive sessions are not open to the public, so I got to meet the people on-the-ground handling resident complaints against Cleveland police.
I walked up to a group of people–all with different backgrounds and roles–and asked questions about the meeting. One attendee handed me a copy of the agenda that contained resident complaints about police misconduct. Another attendee pointed out the resignations of two employees and suggested that I follow up.
That’s how one police accountability meeting led to multiple public records requests and stories about the recent setbacks at the Office of Professional Standards, one of those oversight agencies that I have since learned has had problems for a while. For months, OPS employees felt their calls for support went unanswered, resulting in two resignations and at least one investigation into the leadership of OPS Administrator Marcus Perez, who has been on the job for only seven months.
My stories so far have answered some questions about what’s going on at the agency–and raised some more about how police oversight is–or isn’t–working for residents. Stay tuned for more.
