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State lawmaker and residents urge Cleveland council to keep federal police oversight
Summary
State Rep. Darnell Brewer and multiple residents urged Cleveland City Council not to leave a federal consent decree and pressed for better police management, training and community engagement; public commenters also raised overtime and budget concerns tied to policing.
State Representative Darnell Brewer and several Cleveland residents told City Council on March 16 that the city should pause plans to end a federal consent decree governing the police department and invest more in oversight and training.
"Please reconsider getting out of the consent decree," State Rep. Darnell Brewer said, describing his role in crafting the agreement and urging council members to host more community meetings and listen to residents’ experiences with policing. Brewer said he feared a return to past practices without sustained external oversight.
Community commenters amplified that call. Terry Wong said city leaders were moving prematurely to end the consent decree and described what he called a "conspiracy against the public interest," citing payroll data and fiscal choices he viewed as misdirected. "Last year, two Cleveland patrol officers earned more than $250,000, largely through overtime," Wong said, and he argued the city spent roughly $27 million on police overtime in a single year.
Matthew Sarasinski, who said he formerly worked as a Cleveland police dispatcher, told council he receives disrespectful responses when calling the non-emergency line and urged better management and training for officers and dispatchers. "The case is management," he said, "we need to start talking to these people, please."
Speakers tied their concerns about policing to broader accountability and budget priorities. Wong questioned spending choices — contrasting a claimed $250,000 expenditure on surveillance cameras with a $25,000 grocery-grant program — and urged the council to preserve bodies that provide independent oversight, such as the community police commission.
Council members did not vote on the consent-decree question during the meeting. Council President Blaine A. Griffin announced ongoing budget and amendment discussions with the mayor and department leadership, and members said additional meetings and engagement would be scheduled as the city proceeds.
The comments at the public-comment portion of the meeting provided council with constituent perspectives but did not produce a formal vote or directive on the consent decree. Council members encouraged continued community engagement and said they would consider next steps in subsequent meetings.
