Cleveland City Council Public Safety Committee Operations Review – October 28, 2026

The Cleveland City Council Public Safety Committee met on Oct. 28, 2026, to continue its operations review of the Department of Public Safety in advance of the upcoming budget. Department and division officials presented on the Division of Police and Division of Fire, answered council questions, and received multiple follow-up requests. The chair emphasized that council provides funding but does not hire, fire, deploy, or administer safety forces. No formal votes were taken. The committee recessed for lunch and planned to reconvene at 1:15 p.m.

Division of Police Operations

• Deputy Chief Jared Schlott outlined the division’s mission, values, and three operational branches: administrative operations, field operations, and special investigations such as homicide, sex crimes, domestic violence, SWAT, gang, and narcotics units.
• Reported accomplishments included 184 upgrades in the 18th and 19th consent decree semiannual reports, transition to all-white marked zone cars for visibility, a new police headquarters nearing move-in, and the STANCE unit writing close to 1,800 citations since the beginning of the year.
• Since September 2024, the expedited hiring process has brought 1,797 candidates to testing and 250 recruits through the police academy. In 2026, 82 recruits started; 63 graduated and are on the street in field training. A recent hiring event issued 101 conditional letters of employment, with the next academy class expected in the first quarter of 2027.
• Staffing: the division is budgeted for 1,350 sworn, 216 civilian, and 373 part-time members. Current numbers are 1,233 sworn, 176 civilian, and 184 part-time. The chair noted council budgeted for 180 officers this year and contrasted that with 63 currently on the street.
• In 2026, 77 members separated: 52 through retirement processes, 17 resignations, and 8 terminations. The deputy chief stated recruit classes are 64% minority.
• Crime-fighting statistics included about 1,800 guns tested by the Crime Gun Intelligence Center, 3,733 CIT forms completed, and use of force in less than half of one percent of those contacts. Violent crime was reported down.
• Third-quarter budget concerns: tuition and registration was 176% over budget, professional dues and subscriptions 157% over, other contracted services 146% over, and other supplies 132% over. Assistant Director Christopher Vinland said some police expenditures were misattributed to the Department of Justice budget and would be reconciled by year-end. He also noted a reimbursable federal task-force component in police overtime.
• Fleet: reported a 40% decrease this year in vehicles taken out of service, 8–9 operational drones, repaired/upgraded helicopters with two part-time and one full-time pilot, and a police boat harbored behind the science center.
• Councilmembers pressed for visible traffic enforcement. Police responded that every officer can enforce traffic law, the traffic unit rotates through districts, and the STANCE unit targets nuisance crimes. Council requested district-level traffic citation data and quarterly updates.
• Multiple councilmembers said information about critical incidents is insufficient and sometimes less complete than in the past. The administration acknowledged the concern and committed to an internal meeting on improving communication with council and the public.
• Other police items discussed included the new benchmark analytics performance system, requests for recruit residency and diversity data, school crossing guard vacancies, protocols for squatters and unhoused encampments, auxiliary police support, and the $10,000 per district commander funding for neighborhood events.

Division of Fire Operations

• Acting Chief Vince Teodoro introduced his team and presented the fire division’s budget and operations. The fire budget is about $123.5 million. Overtime is projected to exceed budget by 25%; utilities are about 14% over; other budget lines are largely in line.
• Daily staffing is 163 firefighters, operating 23 engines, 11 ladders, 2 rescue squads, 5 battalions, 2 fire investigators, and 6 dispatchers. An anticipated pumper may arrive by the end of the year.
• The division has 736 uniform members against a budgeted strength of 759. Demographics presented included 18 female members, 558 white males, 95 Black males, 62 Hispanic males, and 3 other males. There was no 2026 fire academy class; a 40-person class is planned for the first quarter of 2027 using an extended 2025 test list.
• Facilities: all 24 fire stations are slated for repairs, 12 for renewal, and 9 for replacement. The administration said a Leopardo-style facility repair and renewal program for fire stations is being proposed. Station 28 is undergoing roof, HVAC, window, and tuck-pointing repairs; Station 26 is newly built.
• Apparatus: SCBA purchases were moved from capital to operating budget. Fire apparatus lead times are often about two years nationwide. Spare engines and ladders are in fair-to-poor condition, though the division has purchased used equipment to supplement spares.
• Recruitment and diversity were major concerns. Councilman Richard Starr reviewed the federal consent decree history and argued the current demographics show continuing discrimination in fire hiring and promotions. He requested applicant data by race, gender, and Cleveland residency since 2018 and since 2020, and called for a hearing involving civil service, human resources, public safety, and the fire division. Councilwoman House Jones noted the public recruitment phone number listed on the city website is outdated and questioned whether the recruitment process is adequate. Councilman Slife questioned the two-year gap between testing and hiring and the use of the National Testing Network if the goal is local hiring.
• Fire inspections: fire prevention was described as fully staffed. High-rise inspections are handled by the state fire marshal and, according to the acting chief, should be yearly; not all apartment buildings are inspected annually because of manpower and legal requirements. The chair requested a written inspection protocol and a comparison with other Northeast Ohio cities.
• Rescue and EMS responses totaled 33,026 incidents, far exceeding other call types. The acting chief acknowledged responder burnout and described the department’s EAP program. Councilwoman Hudson asked about educating facilities that call 911 for non-emergency transport, tracking the new blocker trucks, and obtaining the Deccan score analysis for fire station placement.
• The chair demanded that no hazing, harassment, or discrimination occur in the fire academy. Assistant Director Vinland said the department considers such behavior reprehensible and terminal, and that anyone found responsible would face discipline and removal from the city.

Connect and Protect Grant and Contracting Concerns

• Councilwoman House Jones asked for an update on the Connect and Protect grant. Assistant Director Vinland said the three grant components — call-type data analysis, mental health dispatchers, and community engagement — have finalized RFPs and selected vendors. The call-type analysis contract is signed; the other contracts are still in process.
• Councilwoman House Jones noted the grant was awarded in 2023, was originally scheduled to end September 30, 2026, and the mental health dispatchers have not started. She called the delay embarrassing, said the city must stop making excuses, and urged accountability and contract-process reform before 2027.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken.
• Staff was directed to send all follow-up requests to the administration in writing.
• Council requested district-level police traffic enforcement data and quarterly updates on citations.
• Council requested written protocols on removing squatters from vacant properties and on handling encampments or unhoused individuals near businesses.
• Council requested information on auxiliary police numbers, units, mileage reimbursements, and funding, as well as school crossing guard vacancies, pay, and hours.
• Council requested fire applicant and hiring data by race, gender, and Cleveland residency from 2018 and from 2020 onward, plus a hearing on the fire hiring process.
• Councilwoman House Jones asked the committee chairs to review the final fire chief candidates’ applications and records for any discriminatory or xenophobic conduct.
• Council requested updated fire recruitment contact information, a written apartment and high-rise inspection protocol, and an assessment of whether annual inspections should be required for apartment buildings.
• Council supported further review of Connect and Protect grant implementation and broader city contracting delays.