WCPO 9 News interviewed several people who were instrumental in the adoption of the Collaborative Agreement.
Below are excerpts from some of those interviews.
THE DEATH OF TIMOTHY THOMASWILL ALWAYS BE ASSOCIATED WITHTHE CINCINNATI COLLABORATIVEAGREEMENT.
THAT AGREEMENT WASSUPPOSED TO USHER IN NEWPOLICIES FOR THE CINCINNATIPOLICE DEPARTMENT AND REMOVERACIAL PROFILING.WCPO 9 NEWSREPORTER LISA SMITH SPOKE TOSOME WHO SEE IT AS ASUCCESSFUL ACCOMPLISHMENT,WHILE OTHERS SAY THE WORKISN'T FINISHED.WHEN THE CINCINNATICOLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT WASSIGNED IN APRIL 2002, IT WASSUCH A BIG DEAL THAT THE U-SATTORNEY GENERAL AT THE TIMEJOHN ASHCROFT CAME TO TOWN FORTHE SIGNING.(TAKE SOT)File:HFR/LSmith/Timothy Thomas 20yrs laterClip:JudgeSusanDlottóIntv 3 29 21Federal Judge Susan Dlott, USSouthern District12:13-18"Ithink it's had both lastingeffects in Cincinnati andaround the country."(TAKE SOT)From TanyaTom Streicher/FormerChief CPD?-(1:32:01)"to thisday still be committed tothose goals that we reached ithink is just a testament tothe committment of everyone inthis entire region."(TAKE SOT)From TanyaCharlie Luken/FormerMayor2:04:02-?"I have neverexperienced in my life acoming together, moreforceful, than what happenedin those few years."(TAKE VO)THE COLLABORATIVE AGREEMENTBEGAN AS A SERIES OF LAWSUITSIN FEDERAL COURT AGAINST THECITY OF CINCINNATI AND THEPOLICE DEPARTMENT TIED TORACIAL PROFILING.(TAKE SOT)File: HFR/LSmith/TimothyThomas 20 yrs laterClip:JudgeSusanDlottóIntv 3 29 21Federal Judge Susan Dlott, USSouthern District1:11-25"Thedefendant was the city ofCincinnati and the FOP.
Iasked them if they would tryto mediate the problem ofracial profiling rather thanlitigate it(TAKE VO)THAT WASBEFORE THE DEATH OF TIMOTHYTHOMAS.(nats/scenes civilunrest)(TAKE VO)THE KILLING OFTHE 19-YEAR OLD UNARMED BLACKMAN IN OVER-THE- RHNE, BY ACINCINNATI POLICE OFFICERSPARKED OUTRAGE..
BECAUSETHOMAS WAS ONE OF MANY.
(TAKESOT)File: HFR/LSmith/TimothyThomas 20 yrs laterClip:JudgeSusanDlottóIntv 3 29 21Federal Judge Susan Dlott, USSouthern District20:24-35"Itwas a wake up call.
I mean, weshould have been woken up waybefore 16 black men werekilled by police.
That allhappened in five years."(TAKEVO)THE COMMUNITY WANTED TOKNOW WHY,, AND DEMANDEDANSWERS FROM CITY HALL.(TAKESOT)Charlie Luken/Former Mayor2:06:27 You've got this placepacked.
You've got the motherof timothy thomas testifying.you've got an administrationsaying they can't give youinformation because they weretrying to get the rightinformation from the policofficer so they weren't sayinganything.
So the blackcommunity views that as a lie."(TAKE VO)THE CIVIL UNRESTLASTED FOR THREE DAYS.
ITWOULD BE ANOTHER YEAR BEFORETHE A-C-L-U, F-O-P, CITY OFCINCINNATI, THE BLACK UNITEDFRONT AND OTHERS AGREED TO ANDSIGNED THE COLLABORATIVEAGREEMENT.(TAKE SOT)Clip:ValerieLemmieóIntv 4 2 21Valerie Lemmie/formerCincinnati City Manager18:33-41"The first part comes with therecognition and theacknowledgement that there's aproblem.
And, that's whatsitting around the table andthe collaborative agreementhelped us to accomplish."(TAKE VO)THE AGREEMENTADDRESSED A NUMBER OF KEYAREAS, INCLUDING:-COMMUNITYPROBLEM-ORIENTED POLICING-USEOF FORCE-FAIR, EQUITABLE ANDCOURTEOUS TREATMENT-AND, THECITIZENS COMPLAINT AUTHORITYBUT, THERE WAS RESISTENCE,,FROM C-P-D.(TAKE SOT)File:HFR/LSmith/Timothy Thomas 20yrs laterClip:JudgeSusanDlottóIntv 3 29 21Federal Judge Susan Dlott, USSouthern District5:30-41"Atfirst the negotiations werevery difficult.
The policedepartment was very resistant.Their chief at the time wasextremely resistant to thewhole process."(TAKE SOT)Clip:SaulGreenóIntv 4 2 21SaulGreen, Attorney/Former FederalMonitor Collaborative Agreement7:11-26"As much as they mayhave agreed to do thesethings, as soon as they werecalled upon to do them, theywanted to re-litigate andrewrite the agreement."(TAKEVO)DETROIT ATTORNEY SAUL GREENWAS THE FEDERAL MONITOR.(TAKESOT)Clip: SaulGreenóIntv 4 2 21Saul Green, Attorney/FormerFederal Monitor CollaborativeAgreement7:26-34"I wish Icould sit here and tell youthat there was a point that itwas easy.
I can't say that."(TAKE VO)JUDGE DLOTT RULED CPDHAD REACHED COMPLIANCE IN THEAGREEMENT IN 2008.
BUT, BY2018, WHEN GREEN AND HIS TEAMRETURNED, HIS REPORT NOTED ANUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH ANUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH HOWTHE AGREEMENT WAS BEINGFOLLOWED... OR NOT.(TAKE SOT)Clip: SaulGreenóIntv 4 2 21Saul Green, Attorney/FormerFederal Monitor CollaborativeAgreement14:57-10"There wasnot problem-solving going onconsistent with what thecollaborative agreement hadestablished and what all ofthe parties had agreed to andkind of celebrated back in2008."I REACHED OUT TO THECITY TO ASK ABOUT RECENTPROGRESS WITH THECOLLABORATIVE AGREEMENT.ACCORDING TO THE CITYMANAGER'S OFFICE THE PANDEMICPAUSED SOME EFFORTS.
BUTCOMMUNITY PROBLEM-ORIENTEDPOLICING WORKSHOPS ARE PLANNEDTHIS SUMMER.
A PROBLEM -ORIENTED POLICING OFFICERSGUIDE SHOULD BE COMPLETEDLATER THIS YEAR.LS,, WCPO 9NEWS
WCPO 9 News interviewed several people who were instrumental in the adoption of the Collaborative Agreement. Below are excerpts..