October 2, 2025 — Cleveland — The independent federal monitoring team recently released its 17th Semiannual Report on the City of Cleveland’s compliance with the Consent Decree, marking ongoing and substantial progress in police reform.
The report highlights 20 upgrades across key areas, with zero downgrades — demonstrating sustained, meaningful improvements in how the Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) operates and engages with the community.
The report covers developments from the past six months, highlighting key reforms in policing, accountability, community engagement, and constitutional policing practices. Among the specific upgrades are advances in community engagement, use of force policies, accountability, transparency, officer support, and supervision. Specifically, the City earned upgrades in Consent Decree paragraphs related to community engagement (¶¶ 18c, 20, 26), use of force (¶¶ 116, 121), accountability (¶¶ 179, 198, 200, 206, 214, 218, 219, 222), transparency and oversight (¶ 256), officer assistance and support (¶¶ 282, 283, 285, 286, 287), and supervision (¶ 328).
“This report reflects real, measurable progress. Achieving 20 upgrades without any downgrades shows that our reform efforts are on the right track,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “But this is only part of the story. As always, we remain focused on the ongoing work needed to ensure equitable and trusted policing in every neighborhood and executing an all-of-government approach to public safety and accountability across Cleveland.”
Dr. Leigh Anderson, Executive Director of the Police Accountability Team, added, “The breadth of these upgrades highlights how deeply embedded reform efforts are across the department. We remain committed to transparent collaboration and addressing areas still in need of improvement.”
At a federal status conference held yesterday, Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. expressed appreciation for the City’s progress in moving toward compliance in multiple areas during the first half of 2025 and encouraged all parties to keep up the momentum.
