Community Relations Unit

The Cleveland Police Department created the Community Relations Unit to bridge the gap between the community and its officers. This unit is also responsible for other community aspects of the department including crime prevention, social media, accreditation, and public housing.

The Community Relations Unit aims to create, in the mind of Cleveland residents and business owners an awareness of the roles they can individually and collectively play in reducing and/or preventing crime through a collaborative effort. The department also wants to encourage individual citizens, schools, churches, civic groups, and neighborhoods to involve themselves in community efforts to reduce and prevent crime.

The department also provides programs designed to inform, educate, and assist citizens in becoming more crime prevention/crime reduction oriented. Schools, churches, community groups, neighborhoods, businesses, local media, and households in the city will be an integral part of the program. Through programs, the department seeks to increase the community's understanding of police department activities, increase citizen confidence in the department and ensure a broader participation in citywide crime prevention and law enforcement efforts.

The Community Relations Unit is concerned with identifying and addressing problems arising between the Cleveland Police Department and all segments of the city population, establishing relationships with community groups, learning issues and responding to them before they become problems. The Community Relations Unit will develop programs which increase community understanding and confidence in the department as a whole.