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Cincinnati And UC Meet On University Police Reforms

University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono and UC Police Chief Jason Goodrich met Monday with the Cincinnati city manager's advisory group.  

It meets monthly on police/community relations.  The city offered university officials a chance to talk with the group after a UC police officer shot and killed a man during a traffic stop July 19.  
City manager Harry Black spoke with reporters after the private meeting.  He said what works for the city police department is absolute transparency and overcommunication.  

Many have been asking for the UC officer's body camera video of the incident to be released.  Black said he has not seen it, but he was briefed about it.

“My reaction is that it’s not a good situation,” Black said.  “It’s a tragic situation, someone has died that did not necessarily need to die.  And I’ll leave it at that.”

Black told reporters he would like for the video to be released.

“What is more paramount than getting the video out is that justice be served” Black said.  “So to the extent that holding the video allows the process ample time to exact appropriate justice, that’s what’s most important as far as I’m concerned.”

The Hamilton County Prosecutor's office is now handling the investigation and is presenting its findings to a grand jury.  That work could be completed sometime this week.  Prosecutor Joe Deters has refused to release the video saying it could jeopardize the ongoing investigation.

President Ono issued a statement after the meeting:

Several senior leaders of the University of Cincinnati met with members of the City Manager's Advisory Group to hear their thoughts and perspectives about how best to move forward together in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration. As the result of multiple conversations this past week with community leaders, which were reiterated this morning, the university is initiating a process to hire an independent external reviewer to examine UC Police Department policies, procedures and practices. We also are moving forward with the creation of a community advisory panel. These are important steps to create an enhanced environment of openness and healing.

Jay Hanselman brings more than 10 years experience as a news anchor and reporter to 91.7 WVXU. He came to WVXU from WNKU, where he hosted the local broadcast of All Things Considered. Hanselman has been recognized for his reporting by the Kentucky AP Broadcasters Association, the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists, and the Ohio AP Broadcasters.