The city of East Cleveland is set to officially appoint a new police chief this week, following the termination of the previous acting chief by Mayor Lateek R. Shabazz. This shake-up in the city's law enforcement hierarchy comes as Mayor Shabazz takes steps to ensure strict adherence to legal protocols within the police department.
According to a report by FOX8, Shabazz dismissed Acting Chief Kenneth Lundy due to multiple violations of Ohio civil service laws and city ordinances concerning his initial appointment and subsequent promotions. The termination letter, received by Lundy on Monday, outlined that his rise through the ranks since June 2016 occurred without the required competitive civil service examinations. Furthermore, Lundy's service exceeded the city ordinance's limit of 180 days for temporary classified appointments in a calendar year.
"Police do not disobey laws," Mayor Shabazz stated in a letter to Lundy, highlighting a zero-tolerance approach to law enforcement figures who fail to comply with the law. This was echoed in a release acquired by cleveland.com, where Mayor Shabazz emphasized the necessity of strict constitutional compliance from police officers.
Mayor Shabazz is set to announce his selection for a replacement this afternoon, publicly—a candidate said to have a pristine record and years of law enforcement experience. In an interview with Cleveland19 News, Shabazz shared that the new appointee is "an honorable guy, he's a great citizen and he got a clean record." However, details regarding whether the new chief is an internal or external hire were not disclosed.
The community of East Cleveland now awaits to see how these leadership changes will shape the future of their local police department, while holding fast to a promise of increased diligence and lawfulness under Mayor Shabazz's tenure.
