New East Cleveland police chief aims to ease public concern

EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — East Cleveland’s embattled police pressure has a brand new chief who hopes to deliver some stability to the troubled division.

The division’s earlier chief is going through greater than a dozen tax costs. A number of different present and former members of the division face a number of different costs. In line with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Workplace, officers Kyle Wooden, Tyler Mundson, Brian Stoll and Daniel Toomer are accused of ramming into autos and assaulting the drivers whereas arresting them in March and April of this 12 months.

Two different now former officers, Alfonzo Cole and Willie Warner-Sims, are alleged to have stolen cash, medication and firearms from a number of folks whereas on responsibility from July 2020 to July 2021.

In the summertime of 2018, two former East Cleveland cops, Von Harris and Demarkco Johnson, are accused of falsifying police stories and accepting bribes.

However the metropolis’s new chief of police, Brian Gerhard, mentioned these officers do not characterize the division. He mentioned he is aware of he has to work to vary public notion of the division.

“I don’t have a magic wand to (repair) issues in a single day, however I’m going to do my finest,” Gerhard mentioned. “We’ve got to realize the general public’s belief by being good officers. Treating the general public with respect.”

He is aware of that’s a tall job contemplating the earlier police chief, Scott Gardner, can also be going through legal costs. Gardner has been suspended as he faces 13 tax-related costs. Previous to turning into chief, he was convicted of comparable costs in 2014.

For those who ask Metropolis Councilor-at-Giant Patricia Blochowiak, these convictions ought to have stored Mayor Brandon King from supporting Gardner within the first place.

“The mayor is answerable for his unconditional help of the police chief, earlier police chief, regardless that he had a conviction and may by no means have been supported,” Blochowiak mentioned. “The issue begins on the high.”

Mayor King launched the next assertion after the newest indictments of cops on Oct. 4, 2022.

“The No. 1 focus of the King Administration is security for residents and guests. Constructing a reputable police pressure is paramount to an efficient division. It’s my mission to wash up the police division officer by officer; and, upon the identification of compromised officers inside the police division, to take away them from lively responsibility instantly in addition to help within the prosecution,” King wrote. “In pursuit of that aim, Performing Chief Brian Gerhard might be sworn in as Chief of the East Cleveland Police Division on Friday, October seventh at Metropolis Corridor. Performing Chief Gerhard has an impeccable file inside the division with roots within the metropolis from childhood. He has been cooperating with the County Prosecutor’s Workplace to make sure that the East Cleveland Police Division is purged of all dangerous officers and to revive confidence within the police division.”

In line with the East Cleveland Police Division, Wooden, Mundson, Stoll and Toomer are presently employed with the division however are suspended. Cole and Warner-Sims had been terminated in 2021 and Johnson resigned in 2021. Harris was terminated in 2017.

“We don’t have the mob working right here,” Gerhard mentioned. “We don’t have like some deep underbelly. These are some younger officers that at one time had been good officers.”

Mariah Crenshaw is a neighborhood advocate who lives in Cleveland however mentioned she’s been keeping track of the state of affairs in neighboring East Cleveland for a very long time.

She mentioned the present investigations into officer misconduct are overdue. Her ardour for police accountability led her to create Chasing Justice, LLC, the place she works because the lead researcher and analyst, compiling public information associated to police coaching. 

She has this hope for East Cleveland:

“Begin to put money into their neighborhood and construct the neighborhood up in a means that folks will be proud and have a neighborhood that they’re joyful to reside in and never be scared of not simply the criminals, but additionally the police,” she mentioned.

Gerhard mentioned he needs to guide with transparency and a way of self-discipline.

A method he plans to do this is by reducing again on police pursuits. 

“I’m not going to tolerate it,” he mentioned. “They are going to be suspended. I’ve already suspended a man for wrecking a police automotive throughout a pursuit.”

Up to now in 2022, there have been 164 pursuits involving East Cleveland police. Gerhard mentioned since taking up as chief in September, there have been 11 automotive chases as of Oct. 12.

“I’m not going to have my officers witness against the law that’s severe and sit on it so another person can get damage, however they’re not going to be chasing tinted home windows, someone operating a cease signal,” he mentioned. “They’re not going to fret about crap like that. We’ve bought sufficient know-how now, we are able to truly get plates and discover the automotive.”

He needs the possibility to enact change, however Blochowiak mentioned the answer is non permanent assist from exterior businesses just like the county sheriff and FBI. 

Crenshaw believes it’s time to start out over.

“I’d simply actually wish to see every little thing shut down and rebooted in East Cleveland,” Crenshaw mentioned. “I wish to see a clear slate.”

The FBI has a hotline set as much as gather info relating to any public corruption or civil rights violations taking place within the metropolis of East Cleveland. The neighborhood is urged to name 216-583-5343 with any info.