Cincinnati’s Human Resources Department is getting ready to launch a “climate assessment” process to review internal communication and employee morale within the Cincinnati Police Department.
Cincinnati City Manager Harry Black announced the assessment Tuesday in a memo to Mayor John Cranley and City Council Members.
“The idea is it’s more environmental scanning, identifying any problems or issues that might exist,” Black said, “And then working collectively, all of the people within that organization, to come up with some strategies to commit to and to work towards improving whatever might need to be improved.”
Black said the review will take about a month or two to complete. He said in the memo it will only “aid law enforcement efforts.”
“I don’t sense that there are any significant issues,” Black said. “But my sense is that there are some things that I believe we may most likely need to work on collectively that will allow the department to function at its highest level, at its most optimum level.”
Similar climate assessments have been done in other city departments including: Public Services, Recreation, Human Resources, and MSD/Water Works.
Black said the work is done by an independent, third-party group.
The police department assessment follows events last week where the city manager had the city’s law department draft a separation agreement with Chief Jeffrey Blackwell. Black said the chief raised the issue of resigning during a meeting last month. The paperwork was prepared, but Blackwell did not sign it. Blackwell has since said publicly he wants to remain on the job. Black said again Tuesday that Blackwell is, and will continue to be, the city’s police chief.
