In the first status report since the Department of Justice and city of Cleveland formally asked to end the 10-year-old federal consent decree for city police, the police monitor said search and seizure and use of force practices still need improvement.
Further complicating the city and DOJ鈥檚 push to end the decree, the Cleveland Community Police Commission also asked the judge for permission to become more involved in court proceedings.
鈥淧remature termination of the Consent Decree threatens to both undo the positive changes that have been achieved thus far, and to limit the Commission鈥檚 ability to fulfill its mandate to ensure CDP future accountability,鈥� the CPC said in their filing.
The CPC also hired outside attorneys and asked to offer input to the court during any hearings on ending the consent decree.
Judge Solomon Oliver described it as a 鈥渧ery unusual request鈥� during a hearing on monitor鈥檚 status report Wednesday.
Representatives from the city law department, police accountability team, police department and public safety, along with the DOJ and members of the monitoring team have been the only ones to speak at hearings to this point.
鈥淭he parties point to the creation of the Commission, and other similar organizations, as evidence of the implementation of a durable remedy [after the consent decree ends,]鈥� the CPC鈥檚 filing said. 鈥淭he City鈥檚 own actions, through a pattern and practice of noncompliance with the Commission, contradict these assertions.鈥�
Oliver is considering the CPC鈥檚 request, which was submitted the same day as the status hearing, and the city and DOJ鈥檚 joint motion to terminate the consent decree, filed last month.
鈥淥bviously, there are other persons who would like to weigh in too, other organizations,鈥� Oliver said about the CPC鈥檚 request.
The monitor鈥檚 18th semiannual report covered work completed during the second half of 2025, before the motion to end the consent decree was completed. The monitor has completed assessments in the areas of use of force, search and seizure, staffing and crisis intervention.
In staffing and crisis intervention, the city was found to be in full compliance. The search and seizure assessment gave the city high marks but also found disparities in the rates that Black people were stopped, searched and arrested. The monitor asked the city to address those issues.
Similarly, in use of force, the division of police received high marks, but some areas still needed improvement.
鈥淭racking and accountability of taser use and supervisors tracking and investigating their own use of force remains an area of concerns,鈥� said Shunta Boston from the monitoring team.
The monitor is planning for a year of assessments in 2026, including officer accountability and community engagement.
Monitor Christine Cole told the court the department has an issue with the public safety director being more lenient on officer discipline than internal affairs and the chief, an issue that was raised in 2020 by a previous monitor about former Safety Director Michael McGrath, leading to his departure.
鈥淭hese decisions reflect a culture that existed before the consent decree,鈥� Cole said, pointing to lenient discipline for officers who lie, including to internal affairs, and a commander who lost his command but received no other discipline after he was found to have offered cash awards and gift cards as incentives for arrests.
The monitoring team also echoed the police commission鈥檚 concerns about interactions with the city.
Recently, the department of public safety issued new policies on promotions, including for the division of police. Under the charter, those policies should have gone to the CPC for review. That did not happen, according to monitoring team member Tammy Hooper.
鈥淭he department of public safety has even opined that they do not need to send any of their policies to the CPC,鈥� Hooper said.
Judge Oliver did not give any indication on when he would rule on the motion to end the consent decree.
