Covered by Documenters Marvetta Rutherford and Giorgiana Lascu
Conflict mediators: Community Relations Board Director Angela D. Shute-Woodson updated Cleveland City Council on the work of the board, which was established in 1945 to promote conflict resolution. Shute-Woodson said the number of residents served has grown during the past three years. She said the board’s street teams work to mediate neighborhood conflict related to shootings.
Diversion: The board has also run a diversion program since 1999 for children charged with low-level, non-violent offenses. The idea is to support the children with planning and programming to keep them from having official Juvenile Court cases. Safety Committee Chair Michael Polensek questioned why the number of children served was so low. Shute-Woodson said that was based on approval by judges in the Juvenile Court. In 2022, 149 children were referred to diversion, 93 participated, and 68 completed the program, according to information provided to council.
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Giorgiana Lascu: