Private Police Fight for Name and Safety Measures
City Rule Change Overted at the Last Minute
By Jennifer Greenup
QueenCityForum.com Magazine
City Hall--Members of the Cincinnati Private Police Association (CPPA) made an unexpected appearance before Cincinnati City Council’s Law and Public Safety Committee Tuesday asking the Committee members to stop new rule changes they say will drastically affect them.
The new rules would force CPPA to remove the word police from their uniforms, badges, vehicles, letterheads and advertisements, which the CPPA contends will put their member’s lives in danger.
The approximately twenty members of the organization also raised the issue of losing radio communications with the Cincinnati Police Department in 2005 when the City replaced their old radio system.
“One of my primary obligations to my employees is to protect them,” said David Kevorkian, from Cincinnati Metro Private Police. “There is no way to protect them out there on the street if they can’t represent themselves as police officers because they do perform a police function.”
CPPA has the same authority as Cincinnati police officers; they can issue citations, make arrests and carry a gun. They have provided private police services in Cincinnati since 1914 to organizations like Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Music Hall.
Cincinnati Music Hall’s director of operations, Scott Santangelo, and president of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Steven Monder also addressed the Committee in support of CPPA.
“We retain private police as a means of safeguarding the patrons who attend events at Music Hall,” said Santangelo. “The private police association is a valuable edge on the security net the City provides particularly in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.”
Mr. Santangelo went on to say that the lack of radio communication with the CPD has made CPPAs job far more difficult and the timing of the rule change was bad and would threaten the security of his patrons.
He encouraged the City to continue to support this relationship that has lasted for decades.
“In Over-the-Rhine, where Music Hall is located, we really need that presence,” said Santangelo.
Mr. Monder said that CPPA is a deterrent to those who would threaten people’s safety and that they are doing a good job.
“We are very much invested in Over-the-Rhine,” said Monder. “The safety of our patrons and employees is paramount” and the loss of CPPA would threaten the 150 employees and the over 200,000 patrons that visit Music Hall each year.
Asst. Chief David Boehm of Queen City Private Police said that not having radio communication with CPD was placing his life in danger.
“Several times I have called communications and was put on hold,” said Boehm. “Radio communications is a vital lifeline for us.”
The majority of CPPAs clients today are in Over-the-Rhine and the Price Hill area said Lt. Col. Joe Florimonte who was commissioned and has worked for Cincinnati Private Police since 1964.
Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell wanted to pass a motion against the rule changes but Committee Chair Cecil Thomas wanted to wait until the city could submit a report on the rule changes.
However, by Wednesday afternoon, Chief Wendell Davenport of Queen City Private Police said that CPD had removed the new rules and offered to allow CPPA members to purchase radios so that they can communicate with Cincinnati police.
“I think Vice Mayor Tarbell’s reaction had a lot to do with it,” said Davenport in a phone interview. “We think that some calls were made.”
The Vice Mayor said today that he knows nothing about the CPD withdrawing the new rule changes or about CPPA members gaining access to radios.
CPD Asst. Chief Vince Demasi who was present at Tuesday’s committee meeting was unavailable this afternoon for comment.
This is not the first time CPPA has faced threats to their business.
According to a 2002 Cincinnati Enquirer report CPD Chief Thomas Streicher and the City Manager sought to end the commissioning of private police after the U.S. Department of Labor ruled that the city could not require private police officers to volunteer 16 hours of work time a year.
Under Ohio law, private police officers are not recognized and the CPPAs continued existence is dependent on the city’s support.
CPPA members are required to receive 120 hours of police training before they are commissioned by Cincinnati Police and must obtain an addition eight hours of training each year.
Reporter Jennifer Greenup covers the City Hall and local politics. The feature appears each Thursday exclusively in QueenCityForum.com Magazine.contact: jenniferg@queencityforum.com
By Jennifer Greenup
QueenCityForum.com Magazine
City Hall--Members of the Cincinnati Private Police Association (CPPA) made an unexpected appearance before Cincinnati City Council’s Law and Public Safety Committee Tuesday asking the Committee members to stop new rule changes they say will drastically affect them.
The new rules would force CPPA to remove the word police from their uniforms, badges, vehicles, letterheads and advertisements, which the CPPA contends will put their member’s lives in danger.
The approximately twenty members of the organization also raised the issue of losing radio communications with the Cincinnati Police Department in 2005 when the City replaced their old radio system.
“One of my primary obligations to my employees is to protect them,” said David Kevorkian, from Cincinnati Metro Private Police. “There is no way to protect them out there on the street if they can’t represent themselves as police officers because they do perform a police function.”
CPPA has the same authority as Cincinnati police officers; they can issue citations, make arrests and carry a gun. They have provided private police services in Cincinnati since 1914 to organizations like Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Music Hall.
Cincinnati Music Hall’s director of operations, Scott Santangelo, and president of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Steven Monder also addressed the Committee in support of CPPA.
“We retain private police as a means of safeguarding the patrons who attend events at Music Hall,” said Santangelo. “The private police association is a valuable edge on the security net the City provides particularly in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.”
Mr. Santangelo went on to say that the lack of radio communication with the CPD has made CPPAs job far more difficult and the timing of the rule change was bad and would threaten the security of his patrons.
He encouraged the City to continue to support this relationship that has lasted for decades.
“In Over-the-Rhine, where Music Hall is located, we really need that presence,” said Santangelo.
Mr. Monder said that CPPA is a deterrent to those who would threaten people’s safety and that they are doing a good job.
“We are very much invested in Over-the-Rhine,” said Monder. “The safety of our patrons and employees is paramount” and the loss of CPPA would threaten the 150 employees and the over 200,000 patrons that visit Music Hall each year.
Asst. Chief David Boehm of Queen City Private Police said that not having radio communication with CPD was placing his life in danger.
“Several times I have called communications and was put on hold,” said Boehm. “Radio communications is a vital lifeline for us.”
The majority of CPPAs clients today are in Over-the-Rhine and the Price Hill area said Lt. Col. Joe Florimonte who was commissioned and has worked for Cincinnati Private Police since 1964.
Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell wanted to pass a motion against the rule changes but Committee Chair Cecil Thomas wanted to wait until the city could submit a report on the rule changes.
However, by Wednesday afternoon, Chief Wendell Davenport of Queen City Private Police said that CPD had removed the new rules and offered to allow CPPA members to purchase radios so that they can communicate with Cincinnati police.
“I think Vice Mayor Tarbell’s reaction had a lot to do with it,” said Davenport in a phone interview. “We think that some calls were made.”
The Vice Mayor said today that he knows nothing about the CPD withdrawing the new rule changes or about CPPA members gaining access to radios.
CPD Asst. Chief Vince Demasi who was present at Tuesday’s committee meeting was unavailable this afternoon for comment.
This is not the first time CPPA has faced threats to their business.
According to a 2002 Cincinnati Enquirer report CPD Chief Thomas Streicher and the City Manager sought to end the commissioning of private police after the U.S. Department of Labor ruled that the city could not require private police officers to volunteer 16 hours of work time a year.
Under Ohio law, private police officers are not recognized and the CPPAs continued existence is dependent on the city’s support.
CPPA members are required to receive 120 hours of police training before they are commissioned by Cincinnati Police and must obtain an addition eight hours of training each year.
Reporter Jennifer Greenup covers the City Hall and local politics. The feature appears each Thursday exclusively in QueenCityForum.com Magazine.contact: jenniferg@queencityforum.com
posted by Queen City Forum Mag @ 3:34 PM
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