CLEVELAND, Ohio -- People interested in applying to serve on the city of Cleveland's court-ordered Community Police Commission are invited to a Monday information session put on by the 10-member selection panel.
The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Cuyahoga Community College's Advanced Technology Training Center, 3409 Woodland Ave. The panel will discuss the application process, according to a news release sent out by the city.
The panel will also take questions about the process.
The creation of the commission is one of several moves the city negotiated with the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to reform police practices and policies.
The panel has until early September to make 10 appointments to the Community Police Commission, and must do so in an open forum, according to the agreement, known as a consent decree.
The 13-member commission will make recommendations to the police chief on policies and practices that can help strengthen relations between officers and the communities they protect. It will also consider recommendations from the public and make reports to the city and community about changes in practices and policies.
The group will include representatives from religious and civil rights organizations, the business/philanthropic community, academia, organizations representing minorities, student or youth groups and people familiar with issues facing the mentally ill and homeless.
The commission also will include members from the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, which represents rank-and-file officers; the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents supervisors; and the Black Shield, a professional association of black officers.