Chief U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A federal judge has approved a consent decree entered into by the city of Cleveland and the U.S. Justice Department, saying that it has the potential to reform the image of the city's police department in the community it is supposed to protect.
Chief U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.'s signed order, filed Friday morning, comes less than three weeks after the city and the Justice Department finalized their deal. His signature now starts the countdown for various deadlines the city and Justice Department will have to meet to ensure the agreement, sweeping in its breadth, is properly implemented.
During a hearing, Oliver said he thinks it is a "good agreement, a sound agreement," and will be one to ensure that the police officers and the community they protect will be safer.
He said he would like to see Cleveland's police officers become a model for other departments. In entering into the agreement, that the police will "have to call on the highest ideals of the profession" to truly make a meaningful reform.
At the same time, he echoed the sentiments of other public officials by saying that everybody -- the city, the police and the public -- need to commit to the agreement for it to work.
"We are not the enemy of the public, and we do not want to be perceived that way," Oliver said.
The 105-page agreement, known as a consent decree, was announced by the Justice Department and the city on May 26. It comes in the wake of a nearly two-year investigation into Cleveland police practices, spurred by a number of high-profile cases where police used force in questionable situations.
The city and the Justice Department negotiated the terms of the settlement for five months while also accepting suggestions from the community through written reports and listening sessions. It is expected to cost the city millions of dollars as its many moving parts are put in place, though an exact cost has not yet been determined.
Under the agreement, the city will develop new policies that will dictate when an officer can use force and how police are held accountable if the force is found to be excessive.
The city will also create a commission made up of community members that will make recommendations and issue annual reports. Under the agreement, the board must be in place within 90 days.
U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach said Friday that he is pleased that Oliver signed the consent decree.
"It's an important step forward for the Cleveland Division of Police and the community, but there's still a lot of work to do," he said.
Mayor Frank Jackson said in a news release that Oliver's approval "begins the road to reform that will ultimately result in a Division of Police the citizens of our city deserve."
Others present at Friday's hearing were dismayed that Oliver acted quickly.
Julia Shearson of the Collaborative for a Safe, Fair, and Just Cleveland, said after the hearing that she still felt there were problems with the consent decree and that the judge should have waited to hear from residents and stakeholders before issuing his approval.
"There is an entire aggrieved community whose voice was not heard directly," Shearson said.
During the hearing, though, Oliver said his only concern was that the agreement does not specify what role he would have in selecting
in the consent decree process. He said that he wants "real input in the process at the appropriate time."
Both the city and the Justice Department said they have no problem with that.
The U.S. Attorney's Office and the city, thus far, have received about 30 applications from around the country to be the monitor. Under the agreement, both sides must agree on a monitoring team within 90 days and present it to the judge.
He also inquired into exactly how independent the monitor should be. Thinking aloud, he said it might be best if the monitor does not have an office in City Hall, especially "if you've got someone that's going to be neutral."
Assistant Law Director Gary Singletary told the judge that the city has not yet thought about where the monitor's office will be located.
The monitor will track Cleveland's progress for at least five years, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Carole Rendon said at the hearing, though their stay could be extended depending on how quickly the city takes to implement and follow the new policies.
The city, in the agreement, also agreed to revise its search-and-seizure guidelines and develop a "bias-free" policing strategy.