Restaurant and business owner Tony George says he is preparing a petition drive to repeal the Cleveland police oversight measure known as Issue 24. The 2021 charter amendment granted wide new powers to the Community Police Commission and Civilian Police Review Board.
In a call with Signal Cleveland last week, George argued that a repeal would boost police morale.
“Make Cleveland safe again,” he said. “Cleveland’s having a hard time hiring Cleveland cops because they’ve got the noose around their neck. They’re unable to do their jobs, and when they do their jobs, it’s with the threat of getting charged with excessive force.”
Issue 24 passed with almost 60% support from Cleveland voters three years ago. An organized campaign of backers spent more than $1 million in cash and in-kind assistance pressing their case for the amendment. Then-candidate Justin Bibb supported it.
There’s been no publicly released polls of how Clevelanders feel about the amendment now. But George suggested a repeal campaign could tap into a feeling of buyer’s remorse.
The repeal petition has been drafted but isn’t circulating yet, he said. To get on the ballot, a repeal effort would need nearly 5,900 signatures from registered voters – 10% of the number of people who voted in the 2021 municipal elections.
George said he would decide in the next week or two which election to aim for. Cleveland will hold a primary next September and a general election in November. There also could be a vote in May on a state bond issue.
