Investigation requested by Mayor Frank G. Jackson and other community leaders

Today, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez announced that the United States Department of Justice will conduct a fair and impartial civil investigation into the policies and procedures of the Cleveland Division of Police. The focus of the investigation will be use of force incidents. The Cleveland Division of Police looks forward to working with the Department of Justice and to the recommendations they will provide during their review.

The investigation to be conducted by the Department of Justice is a civil investigation. This investigation is not focused upon one single incident, but instead will focus on use of force incidents overall to determine if any specific patterns exist.

This investigation will include a cooperative effort with voluntary participation from both the members of the Cleveland Division of Police and members of the community. The review will focus on our policies and training with use of force incidents being the primary scope of the investigation. Throughout the review, it is our goal to work with the Department of Justice in order to improve our systems and move forward, providing even better services to the residents of and visitors to the City of Cleveland.

The Cleveland Division of Police welcomes the recommendations of the Department of justice. If changes are recommended, they can be implemented along the way, so that the process can remain fluid and progressive. The overall goal is to provide the best quality of policing in the City of Cleveland.