Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration and the Community Police Commission recently escalated their long-simmering conflict over control of police oversight — this time in an exchange of pointed legal letters.
The latest battle over the commission’s authority came on the heels of Bibb’s February announcement that the city was ready to end a decade of federal monitoring under a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The commission moved to oppose Bibb’s plan. Its leaders authorized outside attorneys to file a brief in federal court arguing that ending oversight too soon could undermine police accountability. A judge rejected the filing, but the legal fight didn’t stop there…