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Police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in Cincinnati, Ohio
| Police hiring, training, and discipline |
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| • Police collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) • Ballotpedia CBA dashboard •Reform proposals •CBA areas of inquiry and disagreement •Arguments about police collective bargaining • Index of articles about criminal justice policy |
| Click here for more analysis of police hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements by state and city on Ballotpedia |
This page provides an overview of policies related to the hiring, training, and discipline of police officers in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is part of an analysis of police union collective bargaining agreements and related arrangements with police unions concerning hiring, training, and disciplinary requirements in the 50 states and top 100 cities by population.
Background
Ballotpedia in 2023 examined the collective bargaining agreements, statutes, and regulatory codes governing the 50 states and the top 100 US cities by population through the lens of a series of research questions related to police hiring, training, and discipline.
Some of the hiring, training, and discipline standards for police officers not established by statutes or regulations arise from negotiations with police unions. Those negotiations are often codified in collective bargaining agreements (CBAs). Those agreements are the contracts that states and cities sign following negotiations with police unions. Some states and cities restrict collective bargaining, but may still negotiate with police unions using other methods. After negotiating with the unions, those jurisdictions sometimes establish police standards through documents including memoranda of understanding or meet and confer agreements.
Results
The tables below link to each question Ballotpedia used to analyze the states and cities and indicate how Cincinnati handles police hiring, training, and discipline. To see the provisions Ballotpedia used to support these results, click here.
CBA basics
| CBA basics | Results |
|---|---|
| Is the current CBA publicly available online? | YES |
| Is there a CBA with the police union? | YES |
Discipline and accountability
| Discipline and accountability | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to discipline for misconduct? | YES |
Primary discipline authority: City of Cincinnati, Police Department; Types: Suspension, demotion, discharge; Restricted aspects: time limit for filing; for termination, officers must choose either grievance procedure or appeal through civil service laws Challenge/appeal process: Union grievance procedureThere is a three-step grievance procedure in the CBA available to the officer union, including for disciplinary actions taken against the officer. Officers seeking a grievance must submit the complaint to the union, which then files the grievance with the department if the union believes the complaint has merit. Step 1 of the process is to submit the grievance to the chief of police following discussion with the officer's direct supervisors and chain of command. If the chief's determination is not satisfactory to the union, Step 2 is to submit the grievance to the city administration's human resource director. The union can appeal the city's decision from step 2 through step 3, which has two parts. The first is mediation with the city through a mutually agreed upon mediator. If mediation fails, the second part of Step 3 is arbitration through a third-party arbitrator. | |
| Does the CBA forbid the transfer or reassignment of an officer as a form of discipline? | NO |
| Do officers have a right to request third-party arbitration for grievances, including over disciplinary actions? | YES |
Condition: Disciplinary grievances are subject to the grievance/arbitration procedure; Selection: Both parties agree to a panel of three arbitrators; Provider: The American Arbitration Association provides a list of 15 arbitrators; Arbitrator authority: The arbitrator's decision is final and bindingDisciplinary grievances can involve pay step denials, suspensions, demotions, discharge, terminations, and other disciplinary actions. Disciplinary grievances are referred to mediation prior to arbitration. | |
| Does the CBA explicitly allow for a state ombudsman outside particular police departments to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct? | NO |
Legal limitations or provisions
| Legal limitations or provisions | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the city CBA prohibit felons from becoming law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Are there any statutes or regulations that prohibit collective bargaining with police unions? | NO |
Training and counseling
Community relations and oversight
| Community relations and oversight | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA reference citizen review boards? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions related to community policing? | NO |
Investigations
| Investigations | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to misconduct investigations? | YES |
Certain disciplinary action may be subject to review under grievance procedure. No detail on investigative procedure given. | |
| Does the CBA require notice to officers of investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA determine a timeline for investigations? | NO |
| Does the CBA contain provisions related to compensation during misconduct investigations? | NO |
Evidence and records
| Evidence and records | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA have provisions related to the use of body-worn cameras or body-worn camera video evidence? | NO |
| Does the CBA regulate processes for retaining officer disciplinary records? | YES |
Record storage: N/A; Storage authority: N/A; Types of records: Disciplinary/corrective actions; Timeline: Penalties of less than 56 hours after 3 years, more than 56 hours after 7 years; Access and use: Members have access; Use in decisions: N/A; | |
Qualifications and evaluation
| Qualifications and evaluation | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA require performance evaluations? | YES |
Annual performance evaluations referenced in terms of grievance process | |
| Does the CBA restrict licensing procedures for law enforcement officers or departments? | NO |
Union authority
| Union authority | Results |
|---|---|
| Does the CBA limit union authority to pay and benefits issues? | NO |
| Does the CBA give the union the power to approve or disapprove new training programs for law enforcement officers? | NO |
| Does the CBA have provisions involving the union in the process for promotions, unit assignments, and transfers? | NO |
City retains right to hire, transfer, assign, promote | |
See also
Footnotes
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