“Community” Police Commission Appointed In Cleveland

September 19th, 2015

Awake Goy

(UPDATE: I held off posting this originally because it has been found out that four members of this appointed commission do not even live in the city of Cleveland. They live in affluent suburbs. One lives in North Olmstead. A once affluent suburb that wanted to block the building of Route 480, because they thought that the criminals would have easy access to their community. They are: Max Rodas, Lee Fisher, Dr. Kathleen Clegg, and Craig Boise.)

News5Cleveland reports that a new Community Police Commission has been appointed in Cleveland. Thirteen members of the commission were sworn in today at city hall.

Their names and titles are as follows:

Mr. Anthony Body, Good Neighbor Ambassador Supervisor, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Mr. Craig Boise, Dean and Professor, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University
Dr. Kathleen Clegg, Medical Director, Recovery Resources; Director, Medical Student Education, UH Case Medical Center; and, Associate Professor, Psychiatry, CWRU School of Medicine
Mr. Mario Clopton, Teacher, Shaker Heights City Schools
Rev. Dr. Yvonne Conner, Retired, Greater Cleveland Congregations
The Honorable Lee Fisher, President & CEO, CEOs for Cities
Ms. Amanda King, Graduate Diversity Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Affairs, Case Western Reserve University
Rev. Max Rodas, Executive Director, Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center
Mr. Dylan Sellers, Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools
Dr. Rhonda Williams, Associate Director of History/ Director, Social Justice Institute, Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA) Commission Member:
Steven Loomis, President, Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Commission Member:
Timothy Higgins, Sergeant, City of Cleveland, Bureau of Community Policing
Black Shield Police Association Commission Member:
Detective Lynn Hampton, Cleveland Division of Police, Personnel Department and President of the Black Shield Police Association

Notice there are representatives of three police unions on the commission. That begs me to ask the question. “What does ONE police department need with THREE unions?” One department, one union sounds better to me. While I’m on the subject of the titles of these people, notice every single one of them works for the city in some way?

They all have a job they can be threatened with if they do not do what they are told. None of these people are anyone I have seen marching in miles of protests against police brutality. How can this be touted as a solution to the police brutality problem we face here in Cleveland? Reverend Conner is the only one not working for the state that created the problem. How are they going to fix a problem their employer has created? The only good news is that they are only appointed for four years.

I have addressed the city officials about this police brutality problem a few times before. I have directly told Police Chief Williams, “Stop arresting peaceful protesters.” As we saw in May, my pleas fell on deaf ears. What makes you think they will listen to these people? You can see the video and read that story here.

What do you think Cleveland? Do you think this will help or not? So far Cleveland has “half-assed” the effort to roll out body cameras. Only the fourth district is equipped with them. And now we have a “Community Police Commission” made up of all state workers. It is a good thing we still have the ability to film these officers ourselves.

The best body camera there is against police brutality is the one you have on you. You all have cellphones and camera technology is such that a cheap camera can be had for less than 10 bucks. Do not rely on the folks that created the problem to fix the problem. Recording cops is something you can do yourself. It gives you the power to hold this thin blue line gang, accountable. Take the responsibility into your own hands.