Fifth District Community Relations Safety Meeting

The meeting started at 6:10 p.m.

Agenda [PDF]

Attendees:

• Miguel Booker, Fifth District representative, Community Relations Board
• Cheryl Wiltshire, judge, Cleveland Municipal Court Housing Division
• Brett Horton, judge, Cleveland Municipal Court General Division 
• Dalonzo Curges, outreach specialist, City of Cleveland Department of Community Development
• Glen Ramdhan, assistant prosecuting attorney, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office
• Drazen Blazevic, inspector, Cleveland Department of Building and Housing
• Davonte Congress, community engagement officer, Cleveland Police
• Mike Norman, lieutenant, Cleveland Fire
• John Sharpe, head of customer growth, DigitalC
• Caroline Peak, board member, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
• Eugene Miller, candidate, State Representative District 20
• Britiny Hubbard, manager of community engagement, St. Clair-Superior Community Development Corp.
• Johnny Johnson, Fifth District Commander, Cleveland Police
• Charisse Dawson, administrative manager, Community Relations Board; works with youth diversion program
• Michelle Westover, meeting co-chair
• Diana Hildebrand, meeting secretary

About this meeting

Staff of the Cleveland Community Relations Board and each Cleveland police district regularly hold a community meeting, called a District Policing Committee (DPC) meeting or Community Relations Safety Meeting. These meetings provide all residents the opportunity to directly engage with local police officers, voice opinions on policing and crime, and network with neighbors and local community organizers. The Fifth District covers the northeast corner of Cleveland, encompassing the neighborhoods of St. Clair-Superior, Glenville, Forest Hills, North Collinwood, South Collinwood and Euclid Green.

Upcoming community events

Miguel Booker, Fifth District Community Relations representative, called the meeting to order. Booker announced these upcoming community events:

• Coffee with a Cop, Wednesday, March 25, at 9 a.m. at the McDonald’s at 10411 St. Clair Ave.
• Upcoming Fifth District Community Relations Safety Meetings. The next meeting is Wednesday, April 15, at 6 p.m. at the EJ Kovacic Recreation Center, 6250 St. Clair Ave.
• Community Builders Gather CLE 2026, April 25, from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. at Trinity Commons, 2333 Prospect Ave.
• Fifth District Community meeting with only Booker (not with the police commander). This is Thursday, May 14, at the Memorial-Nottingham branch of the Cleveland Public Library, 17109 Lakeshore Blvd. The guest speaker is John Mahoney, with Cleveland’s office of consumer affairs. [Editor’s note: The flyer linked above states that this is a meeting for Second District residents, but Booker did not say that in the meeting. The location is in the Fifth District, and the meeting is hosted by Booker, the Fifth District representative.]  

The Community Relations Board is seeking resident input through a survey. The feedback will help decide which city departments and community partners to invite to upcoming meetings.

Speakers

Cleveland Municipal Court — Housing Division 

Judge Cheryl Wiltshire, who was elected as the Cleveland Housing Court administrative judge in 2025, outlined the Housing Division’s jurisdiction, which covers evictions and property damage cases. She advised residents to pay tickets issued by Cleveland Building and Housing promptly, noting that fines can escalate and the housing court maximum is $1,000 per count/complaint. She encouraged residents to use the public defender’s office rather than represent themselves.

Several residents had questions about downed trees due to recent storms. Wiltshire noted that the city is unlikely to rush to ticket storm-damaged properties, and she urged residents to call 311 to report downed trees, even if the tree belongs to a neighbor.

She added that when a neighbor’s tree falls on your property, you are generally responsible for the cleanup on your property and may want to discuss cost-sharing with the neighbor.

Cleveland Municipal Court — General Division

Judge Brett Horton, also elected in 2025, gave a brief overview of his court’s work, covering the misdemeanor spectrum from minor to second and third degree. He noted that minor misdemeanors do not carry the possibility of incarceration and that the small claims division cases are handled separately, not by judges. He closed with words of appreciation for Wiltshire, noting the additional administrative demands of her role managing 55 employees.

City of Cleveland Lead Hazard Programs

Representing the Department of Community Development, Dalonzo Curges highlighted several city assistance programs. The city is urging residents who need lead remediation in their homes to apply for the City of Cleveland Lead Program, especially families with children under age 6 living in or visiting the house. The grant-funded initiative will provide free remediation. Funding is limited, Curges said.

Curges also highlighted a program through BankOn CLE that guides residents through the process of setting up direct deposits for federal benefits and tax refunds.

The city’s Home Repair Program is paused. The application process for buying land from the Cleveland Land Bank is also paused but may open up in the spring.

There were a couple questions from residents about the lead program, which led to a discussion about the online housing portal and accessibility for residents. One resident reported that she went to City Hall and was directed to take computer literacy classes (audio from Documenter Dorothy Ajamu at 25:45).

Curges responded that his team from the Community Development department will help residents with technology barriers but by appointment only. 

Wiltshire also expressed empathy for the resident and is talking to city officials about the difficulty with the current housing portal. 

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office — Environmental Crimes Task Force

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Glen Ramdhan described his work on adult felony cases, with a particular focus on environmental crimes such as illegal tire dumping. He explained that prosecution is difficult because cameras rarely capture faces, and license plates often trace back to a rental company like U-Haul rather than the individual who dumped.

He encouraged residents to submit tips through Crime Stoppers, noting that rewards are available for information leading to successful prosecution. Ramdhan said that many illegal dumpers appear to come from outside the neighborhood they’re dumping in.

Cleveland Department of Building and Housing

Inspector Drazen Blazevic was present and acknowledged but did not speak, making himself available for resident questions or concerns.

Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) — Community engagement and hiring

Davonte Congress, community engagement officer, announced a CDP hiring event scheduled for June 26-28, including an exam, fitness test and pre-conditional offer, open to applicants ages 21-54. It is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day at City Hall, 601 Lakeside Ave. E.

Congress also reminded residents not to leave their vehicles running unattended and to avoid leaving valuables in their cars.

Cleveland Division of Fire — Public safety and severe weather

Lieutenant Mike Norman covered several public safety topics. He explained the difference between weather watches and warnings and urged residents to shelter in basements or solid structures during severe weather.

He noted that the CodeRED notification system is currently down for the City of Cleveland and directed residents to sign up for ReadyNotify through the county to receive severe weather updates.

Note: On Tuesday, Dec. 2, Cuyahoga County’s Office of Emergency Management learned that the CodeRED system had experienced a cybersecurity incident that potentially compromised ReadyNotify subscriber information, although ReadyNotify appears to still be active.

Norman cautioned drivers about hydroplaning in spring rains and reminded residents that open burning is illegal in Cleveland and that residents should call 911 if they see smoke.

He encouraged anyone needing smoke alarms to contact Operation Save Life through the American Red Cross at 216-361-5535 for free alarms and installation.

One resident reported that people parking on her street are making it impassable for emergency vehicles. Norman said this is a police issue.

Fifth District Police Commander Johnny Johnson encouraged residents to keep reporting bad behavior. “Bad behavior never really stops; it just pauses,” he said. “Same people come back. So what we need you to do is keep reporting it to us and we’ll keep sending people.”

In a response to a resident who said they’ve been doing that, Johnson said, “You have to keep beating a dead horse because there’s only a number of us … You got to tell us to come back to [your complaint].”

DigitalC — Affordable internet access

John Sharpe, head of customer growth for DigitalC, a nonprofit wireless internet provider founded to bridge the digital divide. The organization offers internet service for $18 per month (or for free for households with children in Cleveland public schools). 

There are no contracts or hidden fees, Sharpe said. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District subsidizes the organization, he added. Approximately 22,000 people in Cleveland are currently connected, with a goal of adding 7,100 more this year. [Editor’s note: DigitalC said it had connected 7,500 households by the end of 2025.]

Several residents had questions about speed, outages and quality. Sharpe reported that they have around the same number of outages as Spectrum and AT&T. Sharpe said a household network can support 18 to 23 devices simultaneously. More information is available at digitalc.org.

Serenity Health and Wellness — mental health resources

CMSD School Board Member Caroline Peak spoke on behalf of Serenity Health and Wellness, a free arts therapy and violence prevention program open to students and families. She spoke of the trauma, homelessness, and health challenges facing the area. The program is called iMIND. 

St. Clair-Superior CDC — Upcoming 311 presentation

Britiny Hubbard, manager of community engagement at the St. Clair-Superior Community Development Corp., announced an upcoming community meeting next week — Wednesday, March 25, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at EJ Kovacic Recreation Center, 6250 St. Clair Ave. It will feature a presentation from Cleveland 311.

State Representative District 20 — candidate remarks

Candidate Eugene Miller spoke about his experience substitute teaching and expressed deep respect for teachers. He said that if he’s elected, he will not forget the students he has seen struggling.

Cleveland Division of Police — district updates and homicide investigation

Fifth District Commander Johnny Johnson closed the formal presentations with several updates. He announced a new PASS diversion program — a partnership between the First and Fifth Districts and the court system — designed to redirect minors into services rather than the criminal justice system.

Johnson said the car theft unit will expand once the next police academy class graduates, with increased focus on traffic enforcement.

Lastly, Johnson addressed community concerns surrounding a recent homicide involving two young girls, explaining that he cannot share investigative details that could compromise the prosecution. He urged the public to trust the process. He commended the person who called it in, saying, “he saw something, he said something.”

Booker adjourned the meeting at 7:22 p.m. with the mantra, “Next meeting, bring a neighbor!”

The next meeting is scheduled for April 15 at 6 p.m. at EJ Kovacic Recreation Center.

After the meeting adjourned, there was a raffle for a large basket of cleaning and household supplies.

These notes are by Documenter Maria Shuckahosee.

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If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org  with “Correction Request” in the subject line.