Cleveland Community Police Commission Members Ask Steve Loomis to Resign From Commission

[image-1]In recent months and weeks, Cleveland police union president Steve Loomis has a) been issued a six-day suspension by the chief after an altercation involving a family member and current officer at the union hall (Loomis will appeal), b) has come under investigation for wearing his uniform at a Trump rally despite being off duty, and c) come under fire from black members of the union for rallying the group to issue an endorsement for Donald Trump, which marked the first time the union had ever endorsed a presidential candidate.

Now 10 of the 13 members of Cleveland's Community Police Commission have sent him a letter asking him to resign from the group. The three members who did not sign the letter: Loomis and lawyer Gordon Friedman and LaToya Logan, a social worker. The latter two were just recently appointed to the commission.

The letter claims Loomis has missed 10 meetings since January of this year.

Snippets of the letter, via Cleveland.com:

"We believe it is in the best interest of the CPC and the CPPA to have a union representative actively present at Commission meetings, respectfully voicing CPPA interests and concerns."

"We recognize that every CPC member has other professional and personal obligations which prevent them from attending every CPC meeting. However, you are the only Commissioner who has consistently missed required meetings for many months, thereby not fulfilling Commission responsibilities."

The court-mandated commission was formed as part of the city's consent decree settlement with the Department of Justice. The 13 member-group was formed last September. Members serve four-year terms. Their overriding goal is to make recommendations on how police can form better relationships between cops and community members, as well as making actual policy and practice recommendations for the department.