By Gregory Korte and Jane Prendergast
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Cleveland's loss could soon be Cincinnati's gain.

Cincinnati City Manager Valerie Lemmie has proposed that the city hire some of the 250 Cleveland police officers being laid off because of budget shortfalls upstate.

If approved by the Civil Service Commission, Cincinnati could have a special class of up to 40 Cleveland recruits in its police academy in the next four to six weeks.

Chief Tom Streicher said the change would give the department a chance to reach its authorized strength of 1,075 officers more quickly and with less money spent on training. As other cities face layoffs, Cincinnati is continuing to add police officers under a 2001 appropriation that will add 75 officers over three years.

The "lateral transfer" policy also will allow recruiters to do more in-depth looking at potential candidates, some of whom have four years of experience - and four years of personnel evaluations to be examined.

Candidates would still have to pass a background check and a physical exam.

The special recruit class would be about 10 weeks long, Streicher said. They're usually 24 weeks.

The shortened academy assumes that Cleveland officers are up to speed on tactics and Ohio law.

But they'll have to be trained on some policies that govern Cincinnati's procedures - especially the use-of-force policies mandated by a 2002 settlement with the U.S. Justice Department.

"This is a chance for us to get people on the street who are already experienced in urban-style policing," Streicher said. "They were telling me today it's a very diverse group - some African-Americans, a couple of candidates of Vietnamese descent and some who are fluent in Spanish. That's a tremendous opportunity for us."

Also Friday, Streicher chose 30 recruits for the next class in March, and he's planning another class in the fall. With those and the potential Clevelanders, he'll have more officers than he's had in years.

Most of those hired from Cleveland would go to patrol, but if any have specialized experience, they could be used in undercover work because local suspects wouldn't know them.

Mayor Charlie Luken said he's sold on the plan, but also wants to consult with City Council.

"Cleveland police officers and their families get good employment in a good city, and it takes the sting out of the very difficult circumstances they face in Cleveland," he said.

Others are waiting to see how the plan would work.

"I think it will eventually happen, but we have a number of things to resolve to make sure it complies with state statute, with our rules, and so it's fair to everyone," said V. Daniel Radford, the chairman of the Cincinnati Civil Service Commission. The commission may have to approve each transfer on a case-by-case basis.

Sgt. Harry Roberts, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the move a "major change in hiring policy." But he said the city hasn't included him in the discussion and didn't have a position. He did say, though, that the department needs more officers on the street.

"We're extremely shorthanded in street strength," he said.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com and jprendergast@enquirer.com