Clevelanders who have opinions about policing now have a rare chance to help call the shots from the inside. Mayor Justin Bibb is asking city residents to apply for seven openings on Cleveland’s 13-member Community Police Commission, with applications due July 17. The seats will open when current terms expire in December, and those selected will serve four-year terms.
This is not a ceremonial gig. The commission has the power to approve police policies and oversee discipline, an authority that grew after voters rewrote the city charter.
According to Spectrum News 1, applicants have until 11:59 p.m. on July 17 to get their materials in. They can apply online, mail a completed form to Attn: CPC Selection Committee, Office of the Mayor, Room 202, Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44114 (postmarked by July 17), or hand-deliver forms at City Hall before 4:30 p.m.
The city says only Cleveland residents are eligible. All applications will be screened for eligibility before finalists are evaluated, and candidate interviews will be livestreamed and recorded so the public can see who is vying for a seat.
As reported by Cleveland.com, Bibb will nominate commissioners for four-year terms, and the City Council will vote yes or no on each nominee. Current commissioners are allowed to reapply, and background checks are part of the screening process.
What the commission controls
The Community Police Commission traces back to the 2015 federal consent decree and got a serious power upgrade after voters approved Issue 24 in 2021. That vote wrote the panel into the city charter and expanded its reach, according to Signal Cleveland.
Issue 24 gave the CPC final authority over many department policies, including training, general orders, and disciplinary appeals. Local reporting, including coverage that slams brakes on high-speed chases, shows the panel already weighing in on operational rules such as tighter guidance on vehicle pursuits and other public safety policies as it flexes that authority.
Why it matters now
The commission’s decisions carry extra weight as Cleveland tries to prove to federal monitors that it can maintain lasting reforms under the long-running consent decree. That process, tracked in local coverage and federal filings, was outlined by Ideastream.
City Council hearings last year showed how political and public the process can get. Council members grilled would-be commissioners in open session and blocked at least one nominee, according to Cleveland.com.
How to apply
The city has posted the official application form online and says completed forms must be mailed or delivered to the Mayor’s Office by the July 17 deadline. Mailed envelopes need a July 17 postmark, and hand-delivered applications must arrive at City Hall before 4:30 p.m., the city says.
“We are looking for applicants who reflect the diversity, experiences, and perspectives of our neighborhoods,” Mayor Justin Bibb said, per Spectrum News 1.
The application is available on the city’s website and can be downloaded from the official application form.
