Cincinnati Mayor Receives ‘No Confidence’ Vote from Fraternal Order of Police

Cincinnati’s local response for an attack that occurred one month ago continues to have negative consequences for Democrat Mayor Aftab Pureval, as he received a unanimous vote of “no confidence” Monday night from the local Fraternal Order of Police. This comes as the viral mob attack and Pureval’s lackluster response garnered local, state, and federal level attention.

Cory Bowman, who is running against Pureval as a Republican in this year’s mayoral race, shared the fraternal order’s statement.

“The discussion before the vote at the [Fraternal Order of Police]’s meeting on Monday night covered a large number of grievances the FOP has with the Mayor. Among them were: The mayor’s inability to address situations quickly, demonstrated by his three-day delay in commenting on the Elm Street riot, leaving officers and the community in limbo. The administration’s public comments and eventual order to the city solicitor to force police to charge a felonious assault victim with misdemeanor disorderly conduct, solely to appease racial tensions at the urging of a few community leaders,” the announcement said. “FOP members have a complete lack of faith in the mayor’s ability to fix pressing issues or lead the city effectively moving forward. Deciding to push politics into the justice system is unforgivable.”

The statement not only addressed the attack and local responses, but also overall concerns when it comes to the mayor and “a series of leadership failures over the past month that have undermined public safety, police operations, and community trust.”

“The vote reflects deep concerns among FOP members about the mayor’s inability to effectively address critical issues facing the city and its law enforcement officers,” the statement mentioned early on.

In response to the “no confidence” vote, Pureval provided a statement for WLWT:

“This is disappointing to hear, and I don’t believe it reflects the work we’ve done in collaboration with our officers. We’ve had the backs of law enforcement, without fail, every step of the way since taking office,” Pureval said.

“We’ve increased police funding to address staffing challenges faced by cities across the nation, we’ve supported requests for new lateral classes and additional resources, and I have further funding increases in the pipeline as we speak,” his statement continued. “I have been proud to stand with our officers at every turn as they make sacrifices to protect residents. All of us have a common goal: the health and safety of those we serve. This is a time to work together and continue improving safety in our city. We will not be letting up on that work, and we will not be letting up on our investments in law enforcement to make Cincinnati as safe as possible. I look forward to continuing to support all of our officers.”

Bowman also posted concerns about police officers, including issues with “extremely low morale.”

A video he shared earlier this week shows people on ATVs and dirt bikes accosting officers and appearing not to face any consequences.

Local radio station 700WLW, meanwhile, highlighted rising crime statistics and a decline in Cincinnati Police Department officers.

The Daily Signal reached out to the mayor’s office for further comment.

The announcement closes with the concern the Fraternal Order of Police chapter has with city consultant Iris Roley. “The mayor’s failure to condemn or largely even comment on the actions of Iris Roley, even in direct contact with FOP leadership. While he claims he disagrees with her behavior, he refuses to acknowledge that an individual on a lucrative city contract—likely exceeding six figures—should be accountable to anyone,” it concluded.

The Daily Signal also reached out to the Fraternal Order of Police local chapter.

Earlier this month, the local chapter spoke out against Roley’s interference with police officers, with President Ken Kober supporting a petition against her. City Manager Sheryl Long shared a statement with The Daily Signal indicating that she was “reviewing the alleged incidents,” referencing Roley “interfering with police who are in the act of performing their lawful duties.”

Eight suspects have so far been charged in connection with the mob attack, and two have been charged at the federal level as well. Fox News reported on new federal drug charges against one suspect, Jermaine Mathews.  

Mathews “becomes the second of eight people who have been arrested in connection with the beating to be charged federally. In both cases, the federal charges are unrelated to the alleged assault.” Montanez Merriweather faces a federal charge for illegally having a gun as a convicted felon.

The Cincinnati attack may have consequences for years to come. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has visited the city twice this month and is demanding crime reduction goals and objectives be put in place for 2030 “so that the community can hold all of us accountable.”

.

The post Cincinnati Mayor Receives ‘No Confidence’ Vote from Fraternal Order of Police appeared first on The Daily Signal.