Cleveland and DOJ Ask Court to End 2015 Police Consent Decree

Overview

• The city and the Justice Department filed a joint motion seeking termination of federal oversight of the Cleveland Division of Police, sending the request to U.S. District Judge Solomon Oliver Jr.
• Justice Department officials said Cleveland has implemented court-approved policies and training on use of force, investigations, searches, and community policing that resolve the department’s 2014 findings.
• A recent monitoring assessment credited broad progress and high compliance while noting more reported uses of force in 2024, with reviewers finding incidents largely handled under policy.
• Mayor Justin Bibb announced the filing at City Hall alongside Police Chief Dorothy Todd and the head of the Mayor’s Police Accountability Team, emphasizing that local oversight would continue.
• If the court grants the motion, federal supervision would end and responsibility would shift to city mechanisms for ongoing accountability, with no timeline set for a ruling.