By Jane Prendergast
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cincinnati police reported nearly three times as many uses of physical force in 2002 than the year before - a change that reflects new reporting standards instituted after a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, officials said.

Officers reported 144 uses of physical force in 2002, up from 55 the year before, according to crime statistics released last week. The bulk of the incidents, 108, were reported since Sept. 1 when reporting requirements changed by an agreement with the Justice Department.

The new statistics show the effects of the changes, mostly from a new rule that officers report every "takedown," when they force a suspect to the ground.

Though the department's analysis of the reports wasn't finished for the month of December, the statistics for September, October and November show that almost 70 percent of the 82 uses of physical force in those three months were takedowns.

Before the policy took effect, officers didn't have to report takedowns unless something else happened, such as the suspect was also Maced or injured. But then, the data were recorded differently.

"We know that when we chase these dopers, takedowns are going to happen," Police Chief Tom Streicher said. "Sometimes it's just because when you're running and you make contact, somebody loses their balance because you're running. Sometimes, that's all it is."

According to a sample of recent supervisors' investigation reports, the people forced to the ground by officers in 2002 included:

• A 14-year-old girl at Roberts Paideia school forced to the gymnasium floor Dec. 17 during a school function as officers tried to get her to stop kicking another girl;

• A 55-year-old man chased by officers Dec. 8 in Avondale after UDF store employees said he robbed them. Officers found a knife in his pocket.

• A 16-year-old from Winton Terrace taken to the ground Dec. 27 outside Kevin's Market on Kings Run Drive after selling pot to undercover officers, then running.

"He was generally OK, other than the knot on his head," said the boy's mother, Marcia Hummons.

A University Hospital doctor prescribed Motrin, according to the report. Ms. Hummons later suggested officers apologize to her son so he might not be afraid and run from them the next time. She doesn't dispute the pot-selling and says her son has not sold drugs since.

The 2002 crime statistics, released last week, showed people all over the city called police for help more often - 9.5 percent more than in 2001, and that serious crime - murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, larceny, burglary and auto theft - increased 11.7 percent citywide. Robberies and auto thefts took the biggest jumps - 27 percent each.

Questions about Cincinnati officers' use of force after the April 2001 police shooting of Timothy Thomas prompted the yearlong Justice Department investigation. It ended in April 2002 with two agreements - one ending a lawsuit that alleged decades of discrimination against blacks, the other a memorandum that outlined agreed-upon changes in police use-of-force, training, record keeping and dealing with the community.

Members of the Cincinnati Black United Front, who pushed for changes, could not be reached for comment Sunday.

The force statistics also showed that officers did not fire their weapons at anyone during the year and showed an almost 40 percentdecrease in people being sprayed with chemical irritant.

That's an outgrowth, in part, of the Justice changes, because some of the incidents that would previously have been Macings are now reported differently, said Lt. Teresa Theetge, supervisor of the inspections section, which oversees the statistical analysis.

At the same time, bites by police dogs were down 62 percent, to nine. The department's canine unit and policies became a focus of the Justice investigators, who initially wanted Cincinnati dogs to only bark at suspects, not bite them. The department did not agree to that, but did make some policy changes, including making dog handlers stay closer to their animals during building searches.

Many officers worried about the new reporting requirements, saying they feared punishment if their uses of force got too high.

Lt. Theetge was pleased, in spite of those widespread concerns, to see that officers still were admitting to their uses of force.

"They know these are going to be investigated," she said. But she said it will still be months before the department has enough comparable data to draw any conclusions about force.

E-mail jprendergast@enquirer.com