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City manager: No change to Cincinnati Police Department leadership at this time

teresa theetge
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CINCINNATI — In a statement, Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long said "no employment change has been made" to leadership at the Cincinnati Police Department.

"At this time, the Chief of Police is out of town and has been asked to return to Cincinnati immediately to address departmental matters," Long said. "Our shared priority remains ensuring public safety, supporting our officers, and maintaining the public’s confidence in the city."

The statement comes after multiple reports saying the city is "exploring all options" when asked about potential changes at the department amid efforts to address violence.

Ken Kober, president of Cincinnati's Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement after the reports that replacing the chief "is not the answer."

"There are three options: Repeal Issue 5 so the Police Chief isn’t under the thumb of an elected official, convince the mayor to allow the Chief to do her job independently or residents vote for a new mayor. Otherwise, we will remain at status quo with violence in this city," Kober said.

In August, the FOP unanimously voted that it has no confidence in the mayor, citing "a series of leadership failures over the past month that have undermined public safety, police operations and community trust."

Pureval said he was disappointed to hear of the vote and said he doesn't believe it "reflects the work we've done in collaboration with our officers."

"We've increased police funding to address staffing challenges faced by cities across the nation, we've supported requests for new lateral classes and additional resources, and I have further funding increases in the pipeline as we speak," Pureval said at the time. "I have been proud to stand with our officers at every turn as they make sacrifices to protect residents."

WCPO has reached out to Pureval's office about whether changes could be made to CPD leadership. We have not heard back at this time.

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