If people have a bad interaction with the police or think they were treated unfairly, they can file a complaint with the Office of Professional Standards (OPS).
OPS is separate from the police department. It takes and investigates complaints against officers, dispatchers and other police department employees. Anyone – not just Cleveland residents – can file a complaint with OPS.
The office only investigates non-criminal complaints against Cleveland police employees. Reports of officers possibly breaking the law go to the Internal Affairs Department.
The office has been around since 1984, but it has changed over the years. At first, police officers investigated cases against their colleagues. OPS hired its first civilian investigator in 2011.
Voters passed Issue 24 in 2021, making OPS independent from the police.
Cleveland’s Issue 24
Voters approved the Issue 24 ballot initiative in 2021. The changes to the city’s charter created a new Community Police Commission, which has the final say on police discipline cases and officer policies. It also gave independence to an office and board that investigates and makes decisions about resident complaints. It marked a significant change in how police officers in Cleveland are disciplined, shifting more power to appointed boards and commissions.
Before that, the office and its employees reported to the city’s Department of Public Safety, which also oversees police. Now, OPS reports to a civilian review board. The Civilian Police Review Board is independent from the police and includes nine residents. The mayor and Cleveland City Council appoint board members. Following Issue 24, the review board got new powers to discipline and even fire police.
Who works at the Office of Professional Standards?
When fully staffed, 17 employees, including an administrator, work at OPS. The administrator is in charge, supervising the general manager and the senior investigator. The general manager runs the office, including a human resources and engagement position. The senior investigator manages up to 10 investigators.
The review board takes part in hiring all OPS staff, including the administrator. The administrator can’t be a current or former Cleveland police officer or department employee. This is also true for all OPS investigators.
Investigating resident complaints against police
People can report more than a dozen types of complaints to OPS. Complaints include use of excessive force, biased policing and improper citation or arrest. If an officer or dispatcher treats a person poorly and that person thinks it’s because of their race, for example, they can file a complaint. OPS also looks into officers who fail to respond to a report, rude behavior, and missing or broken property.
People have to file complaints within six months of an incident, according to the police unions’ contracts with the city. If a complaint is filed after six months, OPS can still investigate, but the officer can’t be disciplined.
What happens after a complaint is filed?
The administrator looks at the complaint and tries to figure out how difficult the case is. The administrator assigns it a category: standard or complex.
Standard cases should take about 45 days. A complex case could take up to 75 days. The administrator might classify a case as complex because it involves more than one officer.
OPS has struggled to keep up with investigations because of high staff turnover and a lack of steady leadership. The office administrator position was open for almost a year and a half before the current boss, Marcus Perez, started in May 2023. (He was on voluntary leave for about six weeks following multiple employee complaints.)
As of August, OPS had a backlog of more than 200 cases to investigate.
The administrator can’t dismiss a complaint unless it doesn’t fall under the areas OPS is responsible for investigating.
For example, the office only investigates complaints about police and other department staff. If a complaint doesn’t involve a Cleveland officer or employee, OPS isn’t the right place to go. This is one of the only times the administrator can dismiss without an investigation.
If the administrator dismisses a case without investigation, they must record the reason. The dismissed cases are included in a yearly report that is made public.
After the administrator reviews the complaint, it is assigned to an investigator.
How the Office of Professional Standards investigates complaints
Investigators can request records and talk to witnesses. The police department is also required to give OPS access to information they need for the investigation within 30 days. OPS investigators can watch body camera footage and read police reports.
The person who reports the officer can also talk to the investigator. And an investigator can request any previous discipline against an officer.
By law, the police department is not allowed to interfere with an OPS investigation of an officer.
Cleveland’s police chief must order any officer who witnessed or participated in a given incident to cooperate with OPS. OPS can interview officers in-person or get their answers in writing.
When they’re done, the investigator makes a report and gives it to the Civilian Police Review Board.
Holding police accountable for misconduct
Investigators share the results of an investigation with the review board during public meetings. They share whether or not their investigation confirmed the complaint against the officer. Investigators can make one of four recommendations on each charge:
- Sustained: The evidence proves that the officer violated a policy.
- Exonerated: The evidence proves the officer’s behavior happened but it did not violate a policy.
- Unfounded: The evidence proves the officer did not violate a policy.
- Insufficient evidence: There is not enough evidence to prove the behavior did or did not happen.
The review board can ask the investigators questions, but investigators cannot recommend discipline.
The review board makes the decision about whether or not an officer should be disciplined or fired.
Want to attend a Civilian Police Review Board meeting?
The Civilian Police Review Board generally hosts public meetings on the second Tuesday of the month. The public can join the meetings in-person at Cleveland City Hall or watch live on on YouTube. People can also speak directly with the board during public comment.
The meetings often take place online in the winter. For online meetings, people can call 216-664-2944 to sign up to make a comment.
What rights does a person have after they file a complaint?
The law requires that OPS regularly update the person who filed the complaint. OPS must talk to people when the complaint is filed and when a decision is made on what will happen. OPS is also supposed to notify the person when a case is ready for the review board. The person who filed the complaint can attend the meeting. If a person does not agree with the decision in the case, they can appeal and ask the Community Police Commission to review the case.
How and where can people file a complaint?
People can file complaints:
- Online or in-person at the OPS office at 205 West St. Clair Ave. Suite 301.
- At Cleveland Police Headquarters, any of the five district police stations, or at City Hall.
- Complaints can also be made over the phone by calling OPS at 216-664-2944.
To submit a complaint online, you can download the PDF of the complaint form, fill it out and email it to [email protected]. The form can also be printed and mailed to OPS directly.
