Opinion: Obstruction and Interference in Police Inspector General Search Raises Concerns
2024-09-04
Cleveland Police Commissioner Teri WangPhoto byThe Brown Report Newspaper
further complicates
Disclaimer: This editorial is the sole opinion of Cleveland Police Commissioner Teri Wang. The views expressed are not those of Brown on Cleveland, Newsbreak, or its affiliates.
CLEVELAND, OH – Serious concerns have been raised regarding the transparency and integrity of the search process for the City's Inspector General, the primary internal watchdog for the Division of Police. Documentation and evidence suggest that certain Commissioners and staff members deliberately obstruct this crucial process, undermine its effectiveness, and compromise the public's trust.
The individuals in question include Commissioner Audrianna Rodriguez, Co-Chair John Adams, Commissioner Shandra Benito, and Interim Executive Director Jason Goodrick. It has been reported that these individuals have been withholding critical information about the Police Inspector General application and evaluation process and engaging in discussions with City officials away from public scrutiny.
The Ad Hoc Police Promotions & Evaluations Committee and the Commission's Police Accountability Committee will meet to address these concerns. The Commission's advisory role in selecting a suitable candidate for the Inspector General position is defined under Charter 115-5 and paragraph 250 of the Consent Decree:
Charter 115-5: "Interviewing and recommending candidates for police commander and inspector general to the Mayor."
Consent Decree Paragraph 250: "The City will hire an individual or individuals with significant experience in law enforcement practices and civil rights law to serve as a Police Inspector General. The City will seek the Commission's input in developing the minimum qualifications and experience for an Inspector General. The Mayor will appoint the Police Inspector General into the classified service of the City."
Recent revelations, including a PowerPoint presentation by Commissioner Rodriguez, highlight troubling issues. The presentation, shared only last Wednesday, contains minimal information about each applicant and outlines interview questions that fail to address essential qualifications for the IG role. Moreover, the timeline imposed for interviews and recommendations is exceedingly rushed, granting the Commission—still without access to resumes—only ten days to complete its process.
This deliberate delay and selective information sharing by certain Commissioners and staff obstruct the Commission's ability to conduct a thorough and transparent search. These actions undermine the Commission's independence and create an environment where decisions are made under undue pressure to the detriment of Cleveland's citizens.
The interference from external political figures, including the Mayor, his Law Department, the Division of Police, and the City Council, further complicates the situation. These power plays and information bottlenecks reduce the Commission's effectiveness and independence and diminish public confidence in the process.
We urge all stakeholders to take immediate action to expose and rectify these issues—ensuring that the search for the Inspector General is conducted to uphold the highest standards of transparency, fairness, and integrity.
Teri Wang is a commissioner with the Cleveland Police Commission. Wang is the Chair of the Police Investigations, Discipline & Accountability CommitteeMember of the Rules CommitteeMember of the Police Policy Committee
Thank you all for reading and the Brown Report for publishing what the mainstream Cleveland press has refused to cover. Yesterday, at the committee meeting, Commissioner Audrianna Rodriguez confirmed that she, along with Co-Chairs John Adams and Sharena Zayed participated in a closed-door, off-the-record meeting with City officials (Leigh Anderson, Chris Viland, Jason Shachner, Carlos Johnson, and Hannah Macias). During this meeting, this group of Commissioners and City officials looked at resumes for the Inspector General position and "voted" for 5 candidates to be offered interviews. The Commission does not have these resumes and no other candidates will be interviewed outside of these 5.
Francis John Patrick
09-04
How many years and zero accomplishments? Please Defund this ridiculousness
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