Citizens for Safer Cleveland Initiative: Issue 24 is on the Ballot

In 2014, Tamir Rice, 12 years old, was shot and killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun in a park in Cleveland. After receiving calls from the neighbors, police arrived on the scene that he was “alone and pointing a fake gun at people.” The caller stated multiple times the gun was most likely fake and that Tamir appeared to be a juvenile. The police pulled up ten feet away, exited the vehicle, and shot him twice in the abdomen, immediately. Officers did not administer first aid; however, his sister, 14 years old, was arrested while attempting to save her brother’s life. It wasn’t until four minutes after that they attempted first aid, Tamir Rice died shortly after. It was later discovered the officer who killed Tamir had been fired from another police force in Ohio for being deemed emotionally unfit for duty and had not disclosed that on the application to Cleveland Police. He was fired on those grounds; however, neither officer was charged criminally in the violent murder of Tamir Rice. Several years later and Ohio is one of the worst states for police brutality. This November, policing accountability is on the ballot in Cleveland.

The age-old question, who polices the police? Issue 24, as it will appear on the ballot, is a charter amendment that will ensure the Cleveland Police are held accountable for their actions. Issue 24 would strengthen and reinforce the existing policing oversight systems in Cleveland and expand the investigative and disciplinary powers of the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB). The charter would also establish a permanent Community Police Commission (CPC), which would serve as the final city authority regarding the discipline of police officers, and then grant the CPC the power to implement its policy recommendations. It would also automatically make termination the presumed disciplinary response for racist, sexist, or other bigoted conduct or language by officers on the job. The mayor of Cleveland will also remain a part of the accountability process by holding the power to nominate Commission members and remove members for neglect of duty, misconduct, and other offenses.  Furthermore, it would ensure that investigations are truly independent by ensuring that the Office of Professional Standards reports to the CPRB and not to the police chief.

The Cleveland Police force has been under a consent decree since 2014, after the DOJ found a pattern of the use of excessive force, among other unconstitutional practices. The investigation found Cleveland police officers frequently used excessive force, including shootings and head strikes with impact weapons.  They used unnecessary, excessive, and retaliatory force, including tasers, chemical sprays, and fists.  In addition, they used excessive force against people with mental illness or in crisis, including one situation in which officers were called exclusively to check up on someone’s well-being.

The decree is set to expire in 2022, which makes the passing of Issue 24 this November perfect timing. Also, a new study shows Franklin County has one of the highest rates of fatal law enforcement shootings in Ohio and is among the highest in the nation, specifically against minority residents. Black people make up for half of the use-of-force incidents in the city of Columbus, while only making up 28% of the population. Laws such as those outlined in Issue 24 would hold officers accountable in these instances of blatant profiling and racism. These are the steps the country needs to take when facing the fact that nearly 1,000 people have been killed at the hands of police in 2021. Furthermore, Black Americans are killed by police at a rate that is more than twice as high as that of white Americans. It’s about time we come together as a country and stop these atrocities. Public safety should be a guaranteed right. 

The implementation of Issue 24 would allow for transparency between the citizens of Cleveland and the police. Additionally, mandatory investigations allow officers to be held accountable for their actions. If no one is policing the police, the unfortunate reality is seen in the reckless killings of unarmed Black people in America, like Tamir Rice and the thousands of others. It’s time police officers are held accountable for actions, for investigations to be done when someone says something isn’t right, and for justice to actually be served in such cases. This law would serve as a strong first step in the fight for social justice, setting a precedent for states and cities across the country.

Ballot initiatives such as Issue 24 are exactly why local elections matter so much. At Rideshare2Vote, we drive voters in every election, especially municipals, because of ballot measures such as this one. If you live in Cleveland, please understand the value of passing this initiative. Everyone deserves the right to feel safe in the presence of those who are sworn to protect us. No one is above the law, especially not police officers. If you are interested in helping us get folks to the polls for this very crucial election, sign up on our website today! We will be driving voters from October 18th through Election Day. So if you or someone you know needs a ride, you know you can always count on Rideshare2Vote to help.

by Heather Tingley