A call to action today for an outside review of a controversy at Cincinnati Police: a city council member says not even the city manager can investigate this one.
Wednesday, the city released reports the I-Team's Hagit Limor had requested under the Freedom of Information Act. They show that two police officers went to the Citizen Complaint Authority and filed formal complaints against the chief of police and Sgt. Elena Moton. They allege Sgt. Moton was "dishonest" and asked an officer "to lie". They say Police Chief Tom Streicher knew and didn't act because Sgt. Moton is a friend of his wife.
It's what happened to these complaints that's causing some to wonder if they're being swept under the table.
Police Chief Streicher says his department can't investigate if Sgt. Moton did anything wrong because one of the officers accusing her violated department policy. Instead of reporting her, he tape recorded her.
Since Chief Streicher wouldn't investigate inside the police department, the officers went outside; they filed complaints with the Citizens Complaint Authority, a civilian oversight agency established in 2002 as part of the city's collaborative agreement with the Department of Justice. In its six years, CCA has reviewed 2,400 complaints involving police.
But not this one. Depending on who you ask, either City Manager Milton Dohoney took this case or the CCA gave it to him. So now he's investigating, not the citizens. It was the only choice, says Dohoney's spokesperson Meg Olberding, "CCA did not investigate this because it did not involve citizens. This involved officers within the department. Because this involved the chief, the chief's boss is the city manager."
That doesn't sit well with City Council Member Greg Harris. He says, "When you have incidents like these and as sensitive as this is and serious as the allegations are, you want something outside the city administration."
Harris is calling for an outside investigation to ensure a fair hearing. "The third party involvement in this matter is to me essential for the integrity of the process. The police and city administration are basically one. We are all part of the same city administration."
Harris says an outside investigation is the the only way to avoid "the appearance that the administration and the CPD are colluding."
As a member of council's Law and Public Safety Committee, Harris called
our report startling.
He says, "No one's above the law. Not even the law. We are all public servants accountable to a public... Our rank and file cops need to feel like they have recourse... They should have somewhere to go, an impartial place to take their grievances. And right now they feel like they do not."
Harris says he'll push to change that, to give these officers another option.
We also today got the records of the complaints two officers made to Human Resources, complaining that the sergeant they accused now has a supervisory job at district one, where they report.
Stay with WCPO.com and WCPO-TV for any new developments.
Statement from F.O.P. President
The president of the local Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) issued this statement to the I-Team late this afternoon:"After listening to Chief Streicher's entire interview (posted on WCPO.com) I am outraged that the Chief is threatening to discipline Aaron Layton and Terry Cox, and if that happens, the F.O.P. will represent them vigorously."
