ABOUT

Signal Cleveland and Cleveland Documenters created this tool as a public service.

The outcomes of police discipline cases are available as a public record but until now have not been searchable for residents. Additional cases will be added to the search as the city makes them available.

New to police discipline records? The glossary of discipline terms explains the language used in these cases — specifications, dispositions, charge groups and more.

What’s here: Information found here is gathered from Cleveland Division of Police notices that detail discipline for officers, dispatchers, supervisors and other staff. This can range from a charge being dismissed to a job being terminated. Each case shows the most serious discipline at the top. (Learn more about the discipline process.) We’ve also included a glossary to help people understand the terms used in the discipline process. Links are provided to original documents.

What’s not here: There are gaps and instances where police discipline records are incomplete. Some records are missing hearing dates. For several months in 2022 and 2023 a public safety official decided to remove officer names and badge numbers from the notices. The records are not always the last word on discipline. Officers and the unions who represent them can file grievances and arbitrate the outcomes. The City of Cleveland said it did not keep routine records tracking the steps in that process until 2024. When the information is available it will be included. Division employees can also provide the information for us to add here.

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Credits:

Cleveland Documenters who helped capture data for this tool include: Emma Sedlak, Hails Hoyat, Dan McLaughlin and Rosie Palfy.

Glossary terms: Rosie Palfy and Emma Sedlak

Copy editing: Mary Ellen Heusken, Frank W. Lewis

Product development: David Eads, Cid Standifer
Database development: April Urban
Additional data reporting: Cid Standifer, Emma Sedlak

Editing: Rachel Dissell