Cleveland Safety Director Michael McGrath is retiring at the end of the week. The former police chief was promoted to his current leadership position by Mayor Frank Jackson in 2014, months after the infamous deadly chase that resulted in the deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. He later refused to resign after the shooting death of Tamir Rice and the scathing DOJ report that documented a pattern of unconstitutional conduct by Cleveland officers.
In an email to the Public Safety Department Monday, McGrath said that due to “personal and unavoidable circumstances,” he would be stepping down from the director’s position Friday. City Hall sources have told Scene in recent months that McGrath’s wife is ill and requires attentive care. His resignation or retirement was thought to be forthcoming.
McGrath thanked his colleagues and the first responders and support staff who have devoted their lives to keeping the community safe. But he closed his three-paragraph message with a prayer for reform.
“It is my hope that the voices of those that seek positive, progressive, and lasting change are heard,” he wrote. “I pray for the very best for the city of Cleveland and the Department of Public Safety, and I pray that the City does everything necessary to ensure that she will remain a ‘City of the Future’ for its great citizens.”
Assistant Safety Director Karrie Howard appeared at a city council safety committee meeting Monday and was referred to there as “Acting Safety Director.” It is expected that Howard, who was endorsed by Mayor Jackson in a contentious 2018 judicial race, will be tapped to retain the Safety Director position permanently.
The City of Cleveland did not immediately provide a comment about McGrath’s retirement. But Councilman Matt Zone, Chair of City Council’s Safety Committee, confirmed by phone that he’d heard the news. Notwithstanding the violent excesses of the police under McGrath’s leadership, Zone said he believed McGrath was sincere in his plea for reform.
Despite the controversies, Zone said, McGrath had devoted his life to the city and genuinely wanted to see a better, more modern safety department that was more responsive to community concerns.
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This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2020.
What position will he be appointed to next week? There is no limit to his double-dipping!
Congrats Micheal.
Thanks for not heeding the calls of those that said you should resign.
As predictable as sunrise, after some time passed they just went back to shooting each other.
“Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams”
Still trying to press this as a failure of the police department huh? – Funny.
Keep in mind that this was Timothy Russell’s SECOND attempt at ‘willful fleeing’.
He was convicted for his first.
And yet again, we have that issue that is conveniently overlooked, trying to use your car to run over some of the hundreds of police officers that had lights and sirens flashing.
Timothy Russell is responsible for his own death and that of Malissa Williams. No one else.
“Notwithstanding the violent excesses of the police “
Which pale in to complete insignificance in frequency and magnitude when compared to the violent excesses of ‘the community’.
Not to worry, I’m sure he’ll be soon appointed to another six-figure salary position within the corruption-filled, Taxin Jackson, or thief Budish administration!!!
Doesn’t Budish need a permanent Sheriff?
Translation: Look, **** is getting really crazy right now and doing this job is now way harder than I ever thought or wanted it to be. So, **** this ****, I’m out. Later, *******!!!
“Translation: Look, **** is getting really crazy right now and doing this job is now way harder than I ever thought or wanted it to be. So, **** this ****, I’m out. Later, *******!!!”
Dude is about 75 and if he made it through the tamir rice bullshit, a day of ‘Cleveland A Hole Fest’ was probably not bothering him a whole lot.
But anyone having to deal with the ‘community’ on a daily basis for the bulk of their life is has probably gone a bit nuts anyways.
His tired, old Herman Munster ass is finally leaving? There must have been a fire in his garage that destroyed all the blackmail tapes he had been accumulating since Mushy Wexler owned The Theatrical.
Nothing like making a total f*cked up mess of the City and The People You’re Sworn To Serve, as you take a $6-figure retirement for a career of unpardonable sins, unconsciousable brutality, and outright murder of those who pay that salary, totally scott free, on your way to burn in hell.
Goodbye, and Good Riddence !
“Nothing like making a total f*cked up mess of the City and The People You’re Sworn To Serve”
Ya, the place was nirvana before he showed up-all the people of Cleveland were nice and peaceful and didn’t shoot each other every 2 hours.