CINCINNATI — Following Police Chief Teresa Theetge's firing on Thursday and ahead of a summer chock-full of activity for police, Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober said there's a looming sense of uncertainty in the department's future direction.
"We know that summer activity — there's usually more violence, there's a lot more things that are going on," Kober said. "To know that we have a permanent chief in place is something that I think is paramount for not only the police department to know where they're going, but also to know who's going to be in charge."
We set out on Friday with one question: how does Theetge's termination affect morale among officers?
"I think there's just a lot of uncertainty. It's like, where do we go from now?" Kober said. "I could tell you, with hundreds of cops that I've talked to, the one thing (that) remains true is that she was not treated right, whether officers supported her, don't support her."
Kober said it is hard to gauge the overall effect the public spectacle of it all has on a department as big as CPD.
"I think it depends on who the officer is. Some it does. Some it doesn't," he said. "There's some officers that reach out to me more often than others that are just frustrated (with) the way this is"
WATCH: Cincinnati fired Theetge. How are CPD officers dealing with the fallout?
Eric Vogelpohl, a retired Cincinnati police lieutenant turned barber at Grote Barbershop in Delhi Township, said ever since the city placed Theetge on leave in October, conversations have swirled about the controversial move.
"It was a topic of conversation throughout that week (and) since then," he said. "Whether you like chief Theetge, or don't like chief Theetge ... every person thought that she was getting railroaded, that it was a political play by the mayor and the city manager."
On Thursday, a social media post called on Cincinnati FOP to initiate a vote of no confidence against Mayor Aftab Pureval and City Manager Sheryl Long during its meeting on Monday. It is unclear if the FOP will do so.
"It's hard telling," Kober said. "If a member comes and they make a motion and it's seconded, it'll be discussed and we'll deal with it. But I can't really say for now, what members are planning on doing or not doing."
The Cincinnati police union previously unanimously voted "no confidence" in Pureval at a meeting in August 2025.
At the time, the FOP said the group's unanimous vote came due to "a series of leadership failures over the past month that have undermined public safety, police operations and community trust."
We reached out to a spokesperson for Long on Friday about the potential for an FOP vote of no confidence. The spokesperson did not have a comment to share with us. A spokesperson for Mayor Aftab Pureval referred us to the mayor's comments made on Thursday during a press conference about Theetge's firing.
We also reached out to a Cincinnati police spokesperson, but have not heard back.
"I have quite a few clients that are police officers," Vogelpohl said. "I think the cops that are there now are glad that this chapter is closed. I think that the leadership with (Interim) Chief Hennie and (Asst. Chief) Colonel Burns ... they're very both, very well respected. They are honest."
Kober said in the wake of what happened to Theetge, there has been ample community support for her and his fellow officers.
"Anytime you see public support, then you know it's something that does kind of rejuvenate officers," he said. "There's been a lot of support for Interim Chief Hennie."
