By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

AVONDALE - A New York-based civil rights group says Cincinnati is on the right track with its historic collaborative agreement and other police reforms.

But the group also said the progress is fragile and could be undermined if other social and economic inequalities are not examined in a timely manner.

The Center for Constitutional Rights, a nonprofit legal and educational organization, studied Cincinnati last year. The group had a public hearing last May to examine the issues of economic justice, policing in African-American neighborhoods and voting rights.

The hearing drew about 130 residents, but was largely ignored by city and business leaders.

Ron Daniels, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, plans to release a report on the findings of the hearing during a news conference today at the Vernon Manor Hotel in Avondale.

Daniels called the fight against police brutality and misconduct, and economic and political disenfranchisement in Cincinnati, one of the most important racial justice struggles in the country.

"The Center for Constitutional Rights views the struggle for social, economic and racial justice in Cincinnati as a microcosm of similar struggles in urban, inner-city communities across the country," Daniels said.

The report said the city's Community Problem Oriented Police program showed long-term promise for effectively addressing issues of police brutality and misconduct. It pointed to the investment of $9 million in private funds for the Community Police Partnering Center as a critical step forward.

The report concluded that social and economic inequalities constitute "the most stubborn obstacles" to healing the city's racial divide and that police-community relations progress could be undermined because of the link between poverty, violence and crime.

The report called for the city to abolish at-large elections for City Council in favor of electoral districts. This would make elected officials more accountable to their constituents, the report concluded. Such changes are being considered by an electoral reform commission.

The report also recommended that business and city leaders meet with organizers of the the 3-year-old boycott of Cincinnati to negotiate demands

Vice Mayor Alicia Reece plans to meet with Daniels this afternoon.

"We've still got a long way to go, but we've made a lot of progress," Reece said. "Reports are good, but ultimately, we are the ones who are left to solve the problems."

Program origin

Cincinnati's Community Problem Oriented Police program grew out of the 2001 riots and is a way for the community and police to work together to solve problems.

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E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com