Policing in Cincinnati, Ohio
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If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. -------_.. - -- -- ._. - - --------- , " .j " JiJPj Policing in Cincinnati, Ohio: Official Policy and Vs. Civilian Reality January :" ,;' 'I ,,c' ,r", -. " ' . • i , . " ': !':<4~. \¥ I ~ ~" ... I , ~ " f I I I ' ,; i '- 1 I ;".1 1 i I lJ I .! I' i I .. A' \.,-- , --. , )dvisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights prepared for the information ano 1 consideration 'ofthe Commission. This rcport wilJ be considered by the Commission, and the Commission will make public its renction. In the meantime. the findings and recommendations of this report should not be attributed to the Commission but only to tlie Ohio Advisory Committee. \\ ," -. " , il , , ,!.t: ' • t'l..... - .. "' ...... ""'":-_~_ .r ''''''~~'"'''''- >~ ... ~~._~ •• _ ~_~_,,...o..,~_ ........ "~.-',. ~~'-""~--"~"-"of,;--~.-r-"""-H~:' -.-........... ~.-------.- .. --"7~~ ...... ---.. ----. _~_._,. _u.... · __ ··"'~ ".-- ~'-' ,. -,--"". ,~;' -""" , I' ' . r I '\ ," I' .... .t - ~~-----------""""--"""""~"'---....,...-.., ____~r~,~' ____~ __~~ ________~ ____~.~~;'::_\ _______________~,.~"' ___ , U.S. Departrr.ent of Justice Nation-:: Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactly as received from the Policing in Cincinnati, Ohio: person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. Official Policy lJtd vs. Civilian Reality Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been -A report prepared by the Ohio Advisory Commit granted by tee to ,the United States Commission on Civil Rights Public Domain/U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis sion of the copyright owner. THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS The United States Commission on Civil Rights, created by the Civil Rights Act of 1957, is an independent, bipartisan agency of the executive branch of the Federal Government. By the terms of the act, as amended, the Commission is charged with the following duties pertaining to discrimination or denials of the equal protection of the laws based on race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin, or i..), ;;~::- .••~,::. ',,::.'::" " .' '.or in the administration of justice: investigation of individual discriminatory denials of :-. ~ the right to vote; study of legal developments with respect to discrimination or .~; NCJRS denials of the equal protection of the law; appraisal of the laws and policies of the II. I United States with respect to discrimination or denials of equal protection of the i. law; maintenance of a national clearinghouse for information respecting discrimina r.M Y 24 1982 tion or denials of equal protection of the law; and investigation of patterns or ~ a practices of fraud or discrimination in the conduct of Federal elections. The I ACQUISITIONS Commission is also required to submit reports to the President and the Congress at such times as the Commission, the Congress, or the President shall deem desirable. t ATTRIBUTION: The findings and recommendations contained in this THE STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES report are those of the Ohio Advisory Committee to An Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights has been the United States Commission on Civil Rights and, e~ablished in each of the 50 States and the District of Columbia pursuant to section as such, are not attributable to the Commission. This 105(c) of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 as amended. The Advisory Committees are report has been prepared by the Ohio Advisory m'!lde up of responsible persons who serve without compensation. Their functions Committee for submission to the Commission, and under their mandate from the Commission are...~. advise the Commission of all will be considered by the Commission in formulating relevant information concerning their respective States on matters within the its recommendations to the President and the jurjr~iction of the Commission; advise the Commission on matters of mutual Congress. concern in the preparation of reports of the CorJ:nission to the President and the Congress; receive reports, suggestions, and recommendations from individuals, RIGHT OF RESPONSE: public and private organizations, and public officials upon matters pertinent to Prior to the pUblication of this report and consistent inquiries conducted by the State Advisory Committee; initiate and forward advice with Commission policy, the Ohio Advisory Com and recommendations to the Commission upon matters in which the Commission mittee afforded to all individuals or organizations that may have been defamed, degraded, or incrimi shall request the assistance of the State Advisory Committee; and attend, as nated by any material contained in the report an observers, any open hearing or conference which the Commission may hold within opportunity to respond in writing to such material. the State. All responses have bee? incorporated, appended, or otherwise .reflected in this pUblication. , .' .. '''" . ',:: .. ' ~" .• !' -, f / . 't .. r LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Ohio Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights January 1981 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION Arthur S. Flemming, Chairman Mary F. Berry, Vice Chairman Stephen Horn Blandina C. Ramirez Jill S. Ruckelshaus Murray Saltzman \. Louis Nunez, Staff Director Dear Commissioners: Thoperation of the Cincinnati Poll'ce D'lVlSlon . , and for r' . The Ohio Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights submits ~se recommendations are directed t I 'I ,e lm10atnw unnecessary force. this report, policing in Cincinnati, Ohio: Official Policy hC1 v~. Civilian Reality, as Pollce Division, and to State and F dOl oca ?ffiClals both within and without the ibn part of its responsibility to advise the Commiss about civil rights problems The Committee is particularly con~e;::do!ficlals,. to ensure compliance of the C., ,b~ut the Virtual lack of Federal efforts within this State. , 1Oc1Onati Pollce D' . This report is a product of the continuing concern of the Ohio Advisory reqUlrements. In part this problem . b lVlSlon With nondiscrimination Committee with the administration ofjustice in Ohio. In particular, the Committee aval'I abl e to the Federal' fundi eXists., ecause of a paucity. of effective remedies is concerned with how justice is administered to minorities, both racial and d at a fi'or momtoring the condng agencies,t f 10 part' b ecause of 10adequate. staff and cultural, as well as to women and poor people. Cincinnati Police Division andu~ 0 sub-grantees of Federal funds such as the The present study of the Cincinnati police Division has focused on use of force, JUrIS, . d'lctlOn . over discrimm' atl',10 part.' because F ed eraI tiund10g . agencies have no distribution of services, and employment of minorities and women. In addition, on agamst the p . a result of these problems the C ' oor or agamst white Appalachians As involvement of the State and Federal Govemmnet is reviewed along with selected d' ' ommlttee has d' . lrected to the Congress and to F d al ' rna e speCific recommendations nation9.1 i~sues in policing and proposed solutions to current problems. r . e er fundm d fi The Committee investigated the Cincinnati police Division over an 18-month ~ n~1Oate the gulf between declared n . g ~ en orcement agencies to period. The Division itself provided a wealth of data covering official policies and JustIce. and the reality in minorl'ty d atlOnal ~ommltment to nondiscriminatory . Th Oh' an economlCall d' d procedures. In addition, the Committee held a two-day fact-finding meeting on ~ 10 Advisory Committee requests that 0 y lsa, vantaged communities. June 28-29, 1979 at which 'civilians as individuals and as representatives of taking appropriate action toward th I Y u ~upport Its recommendations by community organizations presented their concerns about police practices in administration of justice throughout ethgoa. of ens~rI~g the equitable and consensual Cincinnati. police officials and officers, local and county enforcement personnel, e city of C1Oc1Onati. city administrators and legislators, and the Mayor participated in the fact-finding meeting as well. Sincerely, A review of all the data presented to the Committee leads inexorably to the conclusion that there. exists a serious discrepancy between the official policy of the Cincinnati police Division in regard to use of force, distribution of services, and nondiscrimination in employment and the experiences of minority civilians and police officers, including members of racial and cultural minorities, as well as poor Henrietta H. Looman people. A similar and equally serious discrepancy exists between official Federal Chairperson policy in regard to nondiscrimination by recipients of Federal funds and the lack of action by Federal funding agencies to agencies to ensure compliance. One consequence of these discrepancies and the cynicism they engender will continue to exist as long as civilians are locked out of policy-making and review of police practices and procedures, Based,upon the extensive data available to the Committee, a number of findings have been drawn on which recommendations are made for closing the gap between i official policy and actual practice, for increasing civilian participation in the ,,1 iii ii , . .I ..... f I , "