A federal judge’s decision that Cincinnati committed serious violations of a police reform agreement means the city could be forced into a court-ordered plan that could carry fines and jail time if broken, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The ruling by Chief Magistrate Judge Michael Merz came after the city admitted it had denied monitors access to ride-alongs with officers and staff meetings, and that Chief Tom Streicher had one monitor escorted from police headquarters.
The city now has promised to be respectful and professional with the monitoring team. Merz cited good progress in getting the case back on track, but he still recommended that the agreement be converted to a court order to prevent more breaches. Streicher is frustrated that the department continues to be criticized by court-appointed Monitor Saul Green for failing to meet some of the agreement’s goals, which he says are unclear.
Link: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050127/NEWS01/501270353