Resident Joel Spatz urges administrative leave for Police Chief after allegation of altered arrest report

Clerk of Council Helen Dunlap read correspondence from resident Joel Spatz into the record at the Nov. 18 North Royalton City Council meeting alleging that Police Chief Keith Tarase and a lieutenant altered an arrest report and changed charges. Spatz’s letter urged that both individuals be placed on administrative leave immediately while an investigation proceeds.

In the letter, Spatz wrote that "allegations of this nature—particularly those involving the integrity of official reports—pose a significant risk to public trust" and said allowing the accused to remain active during the inquiry "undermines community confidence and raises questions about the transparency and fairness of the process." The correspondence was entered into the meeting packet and appears in the record.

The council meeting minutes record the correspondence being read but do not show any motion, vote or comment by council to place the named officers on administrative leave. The transcript does not include a response from Police Chief Keith Tarase or the mayor during the meeting. The letter states an investigation is underway but does not specify which office is conducting it or provide definitive findings; the complaint and Spatz’s request for immediate administrative leave remained unresolved in the council record on Nov. 18.

Clerk Helen Dunlap identified the author of the correspondence as Joel Spatz when she read the letter; the full text was included in the meeting materials. The council did not take formal action on the allegations at the Nov. 18 session. Any personnel actions or formal updates about the investigation were not recorded in the minutes for that meeting.