Despite Stumbles, Bibb Supports Police Oversight

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Midway through his first term, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has signaled interest in tinkering with the new police accountability and oversight structures voters approved in 2021.

Bibb’s rise to power coincided with his support of Issue 24, a ballot initiative designed to give new independence to a Community Police Commission and provide civilian review of police misconduct complaints.

Bibb said he still supports the idea — at least in spirit — even if in practice the rollout has thus far been rocky.

“Once we take stock of what’s worked and what’s not worked over the next couple of years, we’re open to some amendments to make sure we get it right for the residents of Cleveland to balance our public safety interests but also balance the accountability interests of residents,” Bibb told Signal Cleveland’s Nick Castele.

When board members were approved a year ago, Bibb said the new police commission was “destined to leave a legacy of progress.” But its members have stumbled over procedures and quarreled with each other during public meetings while failing to exert any oversight in disciplinary cases.

The city’s Office of Professional Standards, which investigates complaints from residents about police officers and dispatchers, has also continued to struggle with internal staffing and caseload challenges.

Marcus Perez, its new administrator, took a voluntary leave last month amid employee complaints about his management style. Perez chalked up the issues to culture change. City officials pointed back at the voter-approved charter amendment, acknowledging that the independence it created for oversight of police also created confusion.

The office’s employees work for the city but report to the Civilian Police Review Board. A city spokesperson noted the issues weren’t unique to Cleveland, with cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia and San Diego, reporting similar problems.

Police oversight that is transparent and responsive to residents is a key component to the city meeting the terms of its federal consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice, which Bibb said he wanted to achieve by 2025. The agreement has been in place since 2015 and has cost taxpayers millions to implement.

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