Cleveland, Ohio, police commission mixer postponed

Ed Gallek and Peggy Gallek

9 minutes ago

(Watch the FOX 8 I-Team’s previous coverage of an explosive Cleveland Police Commission meeting in June 2023 in the player above.)

CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has learned plans have changed for a large crowd planning to attend a meet-and-greet “mixer” at Cleveland City Hall on Friday night. The event has been postponed.

This week, the I-Team revealed issues surrounding an event planned by the Cleveland Community Police Commission, including a hurdle in getting permission to hold the event at City Hall.

The commission had planned a so-called Grantee Mixer in the City Hall Rotunda, an event for organizations that have received grants from the commission to work in the community on mediation, violence prevention and restorative justice.

But an email sent out by the commission this week said to anyone planning to attend: “We regret to inform you that the… mixer… has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.” We understand Any inconvenience this may have caused and we sincerely apologize for any disruption to your plans.”

As of last Friday, days after the event, the commission still had not received approval from the city to use the Rotunda. The mayor’s office told the I-Team that the application for the event was “incomplete” and therefore no permit could be issued yet.

Additionally, the mayor’s office had informed us that the event would likely include food served by a caterer.

But interim chief executive Jason Goodrick had told us: “We haven’t spent any money. We don’t have any providers.”

The commission made headlines for infighting and sometimes loud and heated meetings while not considering any cases.

Voters agreed that the commission should oversee police discipline in Cleveland and more, and members of the group were nominated to the commission in 2022.

But after all this time, the Commission still hasn’t heard a single case.

Goodrick added that the commission is working to finalize its procedures to begin hearing cases.

The Police Commission plans to postpone the event planned for City Hall.

Goodrick told us last week that the commission had awarded grants to more than two dozen organizations.

“The idea was to get everyone in one room so they could meet,” he said.