A national search begins today for a monitor to oversee reforms to Cincinnati's police department and an untested system of community-police relations.

        Requests for bid proposals will be posted at noon today on Web sites of the U.S. Department of Justice, the city and the American Civil Liberties Union.

        An agreement on how to phrase the bid request was reached Wednesday after a two-hour conference call among Justice officials, city lawyers, the police union and plaintiffs of a racial-profiling lawsuit against the city.

        It comes two days before the first concrete deadline of a landmark settlement that ended a federal investigation of the police department and put to rest the discrimination lawsuit.

        “This is as vanilla a description as you could come up with,” said plaintiffs' lawyer Al Gerhardstein. “The primary job of the monitor, and this may be a team of people, is to review the work (of the police and community).”

        About 60 groups and individuals have been identified for the bid request, which will be published in journals and trade magazines. Bids are due by June 10.

        “We're jumping the gun a little bit,” Mr. Gerhardstein said. “We wanted to get it going so right after the court approves the agreement, we can get the monitor going.”

        U.S. District Court Judge Susan Dlott is scheduled to hold a hearing on the settlement, and could approve it, on June 6.

        The monitor's job is to review police patterns and practices, including new ways to watch individual officers and track use of force, citizen complaints and discipline. The monitor will also oversee efforts by activists to help end crime.

        S. Gregory Baker, executive manager of the city's new police relations office, said Wednesday that the proposal requests were intentionally broad to get maximum response.

        “We just asked them to provide us what costs would be for monitoring both agreements,” he said. “We also asked them for some type of local presence and for what that presence would be.”

        If the police, city, Justice and plaintiffs cannot agree on a monitor by Sept. 8, then Judge Dlott will make the selection.

Union blamed for likely pay plan defeat
Weeks of rain slows farmers, developers
Church inquiry widens
Clubs anticipate Jammin' revival
Heavy rains force Fairfax to mobilize
Vice mayor issues apology
Boycott 'coalition' splits in two
New step for police reforms
Obituary: Post TV critic Mary Wood, 88
Schools note Ohio flag's birthday
Silverton tally: 287 yea; 287 nay
Tristate A.M. Report
UC wins share of $5 million health research grant
HOWARD: Some Good News
PULFER: A helping hand
RADEL: In Julia's memory
Intent argued in murder case
Miles guilty of killing girl, 3
Sanders-Portman a rematch
Students forced to pay to play
What is to become of Stewart?
Dems: Child support too costly
Grant home given to state
Mobile-home-park ruling breaks ground
Ohio auditor calls for end of village
State budget deficit keeps widening
Airport noise critics get new tool
Archdiocese checks complaint records
Autopsy finds drugs in drowned man
Jury approves death for man hired to kill pilot
Topic tonight: Birth control
Water rates could rise for 2 counties