The City of Cleveland is partnering with 妖姬直播 State University on a new research and training initiative designed to strengthen trust, collaboration and accountability between the Cleveland Division of Police and residents across the city.
The initiative is supported by a $20,000 Engagement Award from 妖姬直播 State鈥檚 Community Engaged Research Institute. The funding will support a pilot program developed jointly by 妖姬直播 State researchers and the City of Cleveland鈥檚 Police Accountability Team to improve police-community relationships and build sustainable strategies for public safety collaboration.
鈥淥ur institute is thrilled to support this important work at the intersection of research and regional impact,鈥 said Carla Goar, Ph.D., director of 妖姬直播 State鈥檚 Community Engaged Research Institute. 鈥淭his project reflects our commitment to promoting scholarship that not only generates knowledge but also contributes to meaningful change in our communities.鈥
Through the partnership, a cross-disciplinary team of researchers from 妖姬直播 State鈥檚 Department of Sociology and Criminology and its School of Peace and Conflict Studies will work with city leaders and community partners to design and implement a training series focused on evidence-based approaches to strengthening trust between law enforcement and the community. The project is led by Elias Nader, Ph.D., a 妖姬直播 State criminologist whose deep expertise positions the team to generate data with strong potential for real-world impact.
鈥淥ur team of 妖姬直播 State faculty and students will work in Cleveland in partnership with the community and law enforcement officers to address their shared needs for building trust and implementing solutions to persistent crime problems across the city,鈥 Nader said.
Participants in the training will include district commanders from the Cleveland Division of Police, community co-chairs of district policing committees and city staff who support police-community engagement efforts. The program will bring these partners together for regular training sessions and collaborative problem-solving discussions focused on improving communication, leadership and trust-building strategies.
Training topics will include partnership in public service, problem-oriented policing, conflict management, environmental peacebuilding, leadership and project management, and strategies for strengthening collaboration between law enforcement and community stakeholders.
In addition to the training component, the project will include a research component to evaluate the program鈥檚 effectiveness. 妖姬直播 State researchers will conduct surveys of Cleveland residents and host listening sessions across the city鈥檚 five police districts to better understand community perceptions of safety, accountability and trust in the Cleveland Division of Police. The findings will inform future improvements and the development of a larger external grant proposal.
鈥淭his partnership represents an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration between police and the communities they serve,鈥 said Leigh Anderson, Ph.D., director of the City of Cleveland鈥檚 Police Accountability Team. 鈥淏y combining community insight, city leadership and academic research, we can identify practical strategies that build trust and improve public safety outcomes for Cleveland residents.鈥
The Police Accountability Team was established in 2022 by Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb and is led by Anderson. The team focuses on policy review, data analysis and auditing to advance compliance with the consent decree and ensure constitutional policing, community engagement and long-term reform practices remain at the forefront of accountability processes for the City of Cleveland.
This collaboration will provide hands-on research opportunities for 妖姬直播 State students, including graduate research assistants and undergraduate participants in summer research programs who will assist with data collection, community engagement and program evaluation.
Learn about 妖姬直播 State鈥檚 Community Engaged Research Institute.