The city of Cincinnati will hire outside counsel to conduct the investigation surrounding Police Chief Teresa Theetge’s leadership.
City Manager Sheryl Long placed Chief Theetge on paid leave earlier this week, pending an internal investigation into the effectiveness of her leadership.
A city spokesperson now says the City Solicitor’s Office will engage outside counsel to "ensure a timely, fair and thorough process."
The city's legal team will review proposals from outside firms and make a decision based on experience and expertise. Council member Seth Walsh told WVXU the city is also considering possible conflicts of interest.
It’s not yet clear how much it will cost, or where the funding will come from. The spokesperson says a decision is expected to be announced soon; the full investigation is expected to take weeks or even months.
Theetge’s attorney has said Long and Mayor Aftab Pureval are using the chief as a political scapegoat and that they vetoed several proposals Theetge had put forward to curb crime.
Pureval has denied the allegations. He says he did not direct Long to make this decision, although he supports it. Long declined to answer WVXU's questions regarding the allegations.
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