By Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Fraternal Order of Police Queen City Lodge No. 69 has endorsed seven Republicans, a Democrat and a Charterite in the 2003 Cincinnati City Council race.

Getting the endorsement were Republicans John Connelly, Leslie Ghiz, Tom Jones, Sam Malone, Chris Monzel, Barbara W. Trauth and Pete Witte; Democrat John Cranley; and Charterite Jim Tarbell. Only Cranley, Monzel and Tarbell are incumbents.

The FOP endorsement is among the most-watched of the local campaign season, in part because many voters consider it a police "seal of approval" on law enforcement issues. This year, however, the endorsements turned as much on the FOP's role as a labor union as they did on crime.

The litmus-test issue for the FOP this election was the vote on the police supervisor's contract.

City Council rejected the contract in December by a 7-2 vote (with Monzel and Tarbell voting no), saying it conflicted with the civil service reform provisions in the city's charter. Those provisions, passed in 2001 as Issue 5, allow the city manager to hire and fire the police chief and assistant chiefs.

"Basically, all we were looking for was positive support for the police," said FOP President Roger Webster, who announced the endorsements to his members Monday night. "Issue 5 is a very big issue with us. But we're also looking for somebody who is not only going to back the police, but support our broader efforts of crime prevention in the city."

Indeed, Cranley earned the endorsement within a week of reversing his position on Issue 5. He previously voted to reject the police contract, but now says the city should cut its losses on appeal.

"That changed a lot of minds," Webster said. "He has turned the corner a little bit."

FOP endorsements in other races included Lisa Allen for Hamilton County Municipal Court judge and, in a rare foray into suburban politics, Michael H. Bolte for Harrison Township trustee and Rick Gibson for Norwood law director. Bolte is a former police captain and Gibson is a former assistant county prosecutor.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com