CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati is seeking to conduct “a top-to-bottom review of its police department and the department’s policies, procedures and practices.”
University officials committed to the review after a UC police officer fatally shot Samuel DuBose in July. This week, the university issued a request for proposals from bidders to conduct the review.
The purpose of the review is to examine current policies, procedures, practices and training, to identify best practices and to plan reform efforts, according to Robin Engel, vice president for safety and reform.
Engel said they intend for the review to make the university’s police department “into a national model for urban campuses.”
“The university is committed to ensuring that UCPD is engaging in effective, efficient and equitable policing, while simultaneously rebuilding trust with our university and community members,” she said.
The university is accepting bids until Dec. 21. Officials said they hoped to select an independent reviewer by late January and have all research, reviews, analysis and recommendations by mid-May 2016.
University officials pointed to several actions they have taken as part of their reform efforts since DuBose’s death besides this upcoming review, including:
- UCPD and Cincinnati Police Department leaders and city officials are working on a “memorandum of understanding” to detail how policing will occur in and around the campus.
- The university established a “Safety and Reform Community Advisory Council.”
- All UC police officers received training in fair and impartial policing.
- The university hired Kroll, Inc. to review UCPD actions related to DuBose’s death and a team of experts to lead safety and reform efforts.
-
UCPD implemented a new early warning system to flag patterns of officer behavior, like use of force, for review, and to track the gender and race of all pedestrian and traffic stops.
