About Us
Citizen Complaint Authority (CCA) was established in 2003 as a result of the Memorandum of Agreement between the U.S. Department of Justice, the City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Police Department and the historical Collaborative Agreement The Collaborative Agreement was an unprecedented agreement between the Cincinnati Black United Front, the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio Foundation, Inc., the City of Cincinnati and the Fraternal Order of Police as a settlement of claims brought against the City and Cincinnati Police Department.
The overall Collaborative Agreement involved a community problem oriented policing practice. Central to a problem solving orientation is that problems are dilemmas to be engaged in and learned from and that blame is an obstacle to progress. The overall collaborative effort suggests an alternative to blame: that different groups within the community with different experiences and perspectives share much more in common than not, and can work together on common goals and solve problems together. The Collaborative Agreement was an alternative dispute resolution effort to resolve social conflict, improve community relations, and avoid divisive litigation.
While the official Collaborative Agreement ended in 2007, the City committed to continue with its principles. The Collaborative Agreement parties made a commitment to promote and foster this ongoing cooperation. In line with this principle, in 2017, the City voluntarily undertook the initiative to revisit the Collaborative Agreement and develop a Collaborative Agreement Refresh through the hiring of and review by an independent contractor. Please click on for more information.
One of the key components that was a product of the Collaborative Agreement was the creation of the CCA as an agency that functioned as independent civilian oversight of the Cincinnati Police Department.
Citizen Complaint Authority has three components:
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An advisory Board of seven citizens appointed by the Mayor and approved by City Council;
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A full-time Director with support staff;
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A team of professional investigators.
To be an effective investigative agency, several criteria were needed:
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Independence from the police required to avoid a conflict of interest;
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Focus on police misconduct, i.e., serious injuries/deaths, uses of force;
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Rights and privileges to conduct investigations;
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Ability to inspect and examine relevant information;
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Make recommendations; and
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Unhindered access to crime scenes and priority access to forensics and other relevant evidence.
Depending on the type of complaint, complaints are assigned for investigation by Citizen Complaint Authority or referred to the Cincinnati Police Department Internal Investigations Section. Referred complaints are assigned to an internal investigator or to the Citizen Complaint Resolution Process (CCRP).
Citizen Complaint Authority acts independent of the Cincinnati Police Department and reports directly to the City Manager.