The University of Cincinnati has named Maris Herold its police chief, a role she's been filling in the interim. Herold, a former Cincinnati Police Captain, intends to make it a model department.
Herold is trying to remake the department after the death of motorist Sam DuBose was shot by former UC police officer Ray Tensing. Tensing was found not guilty twice in Hamilton County and the prosecutor decided not to try him a third time.
UC continues voluntary compliance with the outside monitoring group Exiger.
"We have made significant progress in the last year and a half with our CAC members with the community and I continue to believe in these officers and I continue to believe that we will, at the end of the time period with Exiger, we will be considered a model police agency in the country, according to Herold"
The UC Police Chief says the department will continue to rework its procedures. Two of the most significant changes she says are establishment of the Citizens Complain Resolution Procedure which increases transparency and changes to the use of force.
The use of force has been changed to reflect, "How much we value the sanctity of human life and how we train officers in de-escalation techniques."
At the direction of Exiger, two months ago UC reinstituted the use of tasers. Herold says, "If you look at the scientific research across the country, they're considered a best practice for a number of reasons, lower officer injuries, obviously fatalities when involved in use of force, so that's why the decision was made."
When asked if UC was going to rehire Tensing, she said that was a legal matter but, "No, it would not be my desire to do that."
