The Civilian Police Review Board shall consist of nine members who represent Cleveland's diverse communities. The Mayor will appoint five members. Council will appoint four members. The Mayor and Council must fill vacancies within 60 days of when they arise. No more than one Board member may be a resident of the same police district, unless the City establishes fewer than nine districts. At least two members should be attorneys with experience representing victims of police misconduct or criminally prosecuting police misconduct. At least one Board member should, where reasonably feasible, be between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of appointment. No Board member may be employed currently as a law-enforcement officer and no member may be a current or former employee of the Cleveland Division of Police. Vacancies during a term will be filled in the same manner as original appointments for the unexpired term. Within 30 days of any Board vacancy, including vacancies caused by the end of a term, the City must post an announcement of any vacancy and a request for applications to fill any vacancy. Members must be chosen from among the applicants.
Board members holding the office as of this Section's effective date may continue in office for the remainder of their terms, and those and previous terms will count toward term limits established in this section. Board members' terms of office will be four years. No member may serve for more than two four-year terms when the second term begins less than four years after the end of the first term. But a person may be eligible for appointment four years after the end date of the second term. Time spent fulfilling an unexpired term of two years or less will not be considered part of the two consecutive terms.
The Mayor may remove any Board member, upon notice and hearing, for malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance, or gross neglect of duty.
All Board members must participate in initial and annual training on topics relevant to Board duties.
Board members will receive compensation as Council must establish.
The Board and its Office of Professional Standards will have its own budget separate from the Department of Public Safety's budget. The Board and its Office of Professional Standards must receive a budget totaling at least 1.0% of the budget allocated to the police force. The Professional Standards Administrator will oversee the budget on behalf of, and with guidance from, the Board.
The Board will designate annually one of its members to serve as chair and one to serve as vice chair. No person will serve more than two consecutive one-year terms in each position, but, except as further provided, may be eligible for appointment two years after the end date of the second term. A person may be eligible to serve in one of the positions for up to two consecutive one-year terms consecutive to service in the other position, but then may not serve in either position for two years after the end date of the term for the second position even if service in the first or second position was less than two years.
The Board shall appoint personnel as its staff as it deems necessary.
(Effective November 2, 2021)