Cincinnati's police chief has been on the force since before the Bengals last went to the Super Bowl. That will change in March.
Eliot Isaac, the Cincinnati Police Department's longtime chief, will retire after his final day on March 1, a press release from the city says. He first announced his retirement plans in June but did not provide a timeline other than to suggest that it would be early this year.
Isaac will leave the position in March, but his last working day will be Friday, Feb. 18, the release says.
"Serving the people of Cincinnati, alongside such a dedicated team of officers, has been the privilege of a lifetime. I’m grateful beyond words for the opportunity I have had," Isaac says. "The mayor and the city administration have been incredible partners during this transition process, and I’m fully confident that the search process for a new police chief will yield the right person for the job."
Isaac has been with the CPD since 1988, becoming a captain in 2004 and District Four commander from 2007 to 2012, his bio says. In 2015, he became interim chief when former city manager Harry Black fired former police chief Jeffrey Blackwell. (Black departed in 2018 during the "Gang of Five" texting scandal.)
Isaac has focused on crime reduction within the city, telling Cincinnati City Council in June 2019 that shootings and overall crime were at much lower levels than they had been in previous years.
Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said during a Feb. 7 media briefing that he'd been in touch with the police department about planning for crowd control should the Bengals win Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 and a parade through the city be in order.
Cincinnati's city manager has the authority to appoint a new police chief, and Interim City Manager John Curp will conduct a national search to fill the position. The city is selecting from potential consultants to aid the search, and Isaac will assist Curp as well, the release says.
"We are incredibly grateful for Chief Isaac’s decades of service to the residents of Cincinnati. As police chief, he has provided compassionate and dedicated leadership, working daily to keep Cincinnati safe and secure," Pureval says. "The search process for a new police chief began immediately when we took office, and I’m confident that a professional, effective process that prioritizes community engagement will result in the best possible leader for our police department."
Curp will announce an interim police chief before Feb. 18.
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