Cincinnati’s Citizen Complaint Authority, the body meant to investigate grievances against police officers, now faces a backlog of more than 100 cases.
CINCINNATI MADE BIG CHANGES INHOW IT POLICES AFTER THE 2001RIOTS.
PART OF THAT WAS THECREATION OF THE "CITIZENCOMPLAINT AUTHORITY."ITINVESTIGATES COMPLAINTSAGAINST CINCINNATI OFFICERS.BUT IT HAS A BACKLOG OF MORETHAN 100 CASES.
WCPO 9 NEWSREPORTER KRISTEN SWILLEYBREAKS DOWN WHERE THINGS STANDWITH THE GROUP -- AND WHAT ITSLEADERS SAY IS NEEDED TO MOVEFORWARD.THE CCA WAS ESTABLISHED AS AKEY PART OF THE COLLABORATIVEAGREEMENT FOLLOWING THE CIVILUNREST IN 2001.
IT WAS ALREADYFACING A MAJOR BACKLOG BEFORECOVID-19.
NOW, MEMBERS SAY ITWILL TAKE MORE RESOURCES TOCATCH UP AND WORK WITH POLICEON LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS.IT IS A WAY FOR PEOPLE TOSEEK JUSTICE FOR POLICEMISCONDUCT BEFORE ANINDEPENDENT BODY..."Used at its full capacity,CCA will be an effective toolin Cincinnati's approach topublic safety."BUT FOR YEARS THE CITIZENCOMPLAINT AUTHORITY HAS BEENSHORT ON STAFF AND FUNDING.COVID-19 HAS EXACERBATEDTHINGS... AND CCA IS NOWFACING THIS CRUNCH AT ACRITICALTIME."The death of George Floyd andthe protests in Cincinnati andacross America shed light onthe constant need to work onpolice and communityrelations.": MARK CHILDERS IS THENEWLY-ELECTED BOARD CHAIR.CCA IS ASKING FOR 200 THOUSANDDOLLARS FOR THE UPCOMINGBUDGET YEAR, SOMETHING MAYORCRANLEY SAYS HE WILLRECOMMEND."If you just talk about whatthe increase will be, it's1/20 of one percent of a 400million dollarbudget."THE BODY IS SUPPOSED TO ACT ONCITIZEN COMPLAINTS WITHIN 90DAYS.
SOME CASES HAVE BEENOUTSTANDING FOR MORE THAN AYEAR."We should have fiveinvestigators.
Ever since I'vebeen here.
The most we've hadis three.
We're backlogged incases.
When you read a casefrom a year and a half beforeand it's just getting resolvedit does no one anyjustice."IRIS ROLEY WITH THECINCINNATI BLACK UNITED FRONTSAYS SHE AND OTHERS FIRSTRAISED THE ISSUE WITH THE CITYBACK IN JANUARY AND NEVERHEARD BACK.
SHE SAYS NOW IT'STIME TOACT."It's so important that weknow these things so that wecan root out bad problemsinside of our public safetydivision.
This is one of theways that you have thosechecks and balances so thatpeople can feel as thoughtheir lives matter tooeveryday, not just whensomething so atrocioushappens."CHILDERS SAYS 25 COMPLAINTSCAME FROM LAST WEEK'S PROTESTSALONE.
HE SAYS BEING FULLYFUNDED WOULD ALLOW IT TOESTABLISH, AMONG OTHER THINGS,OF A USE OF FORCE BOARD THATWOULD DEAL SPECIFICALLY WITHPHYSICAL CONFLICTS BETWEENCIVILIANS AND POLICE.
KRISTENSWILLEY... WCPO... 9 NEWS.
In the City's proposed budget for the 2021 fiscal year, funding will increase for the Citizen Complaint Authority (CCA) that..