Cleveland Police Department Sees Marked Improvement in Use of Force

Monitor finds 97% of force incidents justified in 2024 as department makes progress on consent decree reforms.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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A report from the Cleveland Monitoring Team found that the Cleveland Police Department has made significant improvements in its use of force, with 97% of the 272 incidents reviewed in 2024 being deemed justified. The department has made progress on 74 paragraphs of the federal consent decree first implemented in 2015 following the Tamir Rice killing, improving policies around de-escalation, use of pepper spray, and other force tactics.

Why it matters

The Cleveland Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2015 due to concerns over its use of force and treatment of the public. This report indicates the department is making meaningful progress on reforms, which could help rebuild trust between law enforcement and the community, especially among Black residents who have historically borne the brunt of aggressive policing tactics.

The details

The Cleveland Monitoring Team, a group of criminal justice experts contracted to oversee the department's progress, reviewed 272 use of force incidents from 2024 and found that 97% were justified based on body camera footage and police reports. This is a marked improvement from previous years, with the department seeing the highest number of use of force incidents since 2018. However, the monitoring team found that the department is generally following policies around de-escalation, use of pepper spray, and other force tactics, with only 15 complaints filed out of the 272 incidents reviewed.

  • In 2024, Cleveland police officers reported 334 use of force incidents, the highest amount since 2018 when the department saw 335.
  • The federal consent decree was first implemented in 2015 following the Tamir Rice killing.

The players

Cleveland Police Department

The local law enforcement agency in Cleveland, Ohio that has been under federal oversight since 2015 due to concerns over its use of force and treatment of the public.

Cleveland Monitoring Team

A team of criminal justice experts contracted by the city of Cleveland to keep tabs on the Cleveland Police Department's progress and behavior in adhering to the terms of a federal consent decree.

Dorothy Todd

The Chief of the Cleveland Police Department.

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What they’re saying

“These upgrades are a testament to our shared commitment to accountability, transparency, and meaningful reform, building trust and strengthening partnerships with every community we serve.”

— Dorothy Todd, Chief, Cleveland Police Department (clevescene.com)

What’s next

The Cleveland Monitoring Team will continue to oversee the Cleveland Police Department's progress on the federal consent decree, reviewing use of force incidents and other policies to ensure the department maintains its improvements.

The takeaway

The Cleveland Police Department's progress on use of force reforms, as validated by an independent monitoring team, demonstrates that meaningful change is possible when law enforcement agencies commit to transparency, accountability, and building trust with the communities they serve.