By Billy Cunningham, The Great America and talk about the Bengals. Later on we had Moe coming up. Plus FC was a complete disaster, as was you see Bearcatcher's problems everywhere. But in the studio with me right now is Iris, Rolie and Iris Welcome to the Bill Cunningham Show. I think for the first time, is that correct?
That is absolutely correct.
Well, let's talk about what happened last night in Cincinnati. And on Sunday we had something the range of I don't know, seven or eight people were shot, one was murdered. According to most of the accounts, the city is ripe with violence of one type or another. And as the collaborator describe to the American people, what your role is with the city at this point?
So Willie, what my role is with the city currently is what my role has been almost for twenty five years, prior to me signing a contract to be consultant to the city manager on you on the work of policing public safety, to work through the collaborative. So for twenty two years, I just want to say to you and your listeners, I dedicated myself. My husband allowed me to My husband of thirty one years has allowed me to give them myself freely to the work of the Collaborative Agreement,
so that meant no pay. We had no budget, we had no staff, we had nothing. And this was from the community's lins. This is from the Black United Front lines, the people who came together collective lands that we're going to sue the city, the FOP in this police alleging racial profile. And now, mister Cunningham, I know folks get all up in their panties about well, what does that
mean she's anti police? You're absolutely incorrect. Iris Rowley has done work greater than most people in the city, and I'm grateful to my spouse and to the Black United Front and everybody who's put work into the hands of the Collaborative Agreement, including the police.
Let's talk about the police, because as a collaborator of sorts, you have to work with different groups. One most important groups is the police. Correct.
Yeah.
I had Ken Cobra on the head of the union about a month ago on Friday, Ken, and he said that they have no confidence in you. They said that you involved yourself wrongfully, possibly criminally in arrest. They had video of you interfering with the police. Arrest and they have no confidence in you. So if one of the main parties of the collaborative is the police, and the police don't want to collaborate with you.
A problem. Yeah, that is a problem. So listen, So Willie, I got into this in a very hostile rep way, right. So we were at the cusp of fifteen unarmed black men being killed at the hands of the police. The city had gone through civil unrest, major corporations, people didn't want to come. We were asking people to boycott downtown Cincinnati, and we downtown tourism and we were effective, and the whole world saw the Cincinnati was having issues with the
black community and the police. That's what we rolle into federal court. With thirty years of problematic policing. Now in the past twenty five years, if you got one incident that you're upset with, Iris wrote it about, I say, she gets an A plus.
I have there several incidents.
No, no, no, I've seen three or four videos. No, so don't do that. You saw two videos, and you saw two videos. One on a set which I was called downtown to help a family who's sixteen year old was killed by a fourteen year old so I get up. Because I work all the time, I don't know when IRIS really gets off. So I'm gonna ask your listeners to tell me that because I go from consultant to just advocacy and doing what people want all the time. Right,
that's not fair. However, so when I get a call from one of my guys that works on Government Square, and by the way, they've been doing phenomenal work, call me and say, can you help the family? They don't know where the body is. They don't know this, they don't know that. Get up out of my bed, meet them. At eight thirty in the morning, I stand on Main Street for five hours outside of the building with his baby was murdered, right, did not even know that helping
the family to identify where the body was. And that's nobody's business but mine. I elected to do that as the great person I am, as Jesse's wife and his mom, and as a community caregiver. This is who I am and this is who I have been. So I go there. I help the family. We stand outside, Willie outside for five hours. So I stand outside, find the baby, find the funeral home, find out these things, go around the corner to get something to eat because I'm hungry. I'm
noticing all these folks walking around with cups. They have alcohol, and I'm a contributor. I am a tax payer, and I pay attention to my town. So folk want to be mad because I pay attention to Cincinnati. Well be mad. I have at it. But I'm noticing a lot of folk walking around with beer and wine and cups. I mean, is this this is not a door? What's happening? So we leave there now? Remember I spend five hours go get an Ampanada so I can go home now to
contend to my business. I see right where I'm about to move into because I go live on Green and Republic. Try to live down there for thirty days so I can do some problem solving. But we'll get back to that, because that's still part of the destroyer. I'm going to get there. To you, attorney, no, no, no, I sound like a taxpayer. I sound like a person who's not whose voice hasn't been heard so that you can hear the goodness and you can stop trying to find the bad and the and the goodness.
Now, let me say the police don't want to collaborate with you.
That's that's not all the police. It was seven people, ten people. So so one of the things that I have for you, Misster Cunningham, because always told you we're gonna try to get me, is I literally just got back with now in some chief hand.
I'm not getting. I'm reporting facts to you.
I don't know if it's facts, because I don't I don't talk to about collaborate. I talked to Can Cobra and he's not said that to me. My husband talked to King Cobra. He's not said they did. Now I've read it in the newspaper. But they have no choice. You said that the police are the main character. They're not. The community is the number one the number one stakeholder in the collaborative.
Agreement is the community community, the black community, Cincinnati's majority white city.
Well, but the majority white city wasn't having fitting fitting on white men killed at the hands.
They were all justified.
No, they were not.
Which one wasn't other than Steven Roach.
And and and and in our in our community, that's what we were told. They were justified because there were no investigations. Mister Cunningham, and I see where you want to go, but I'm gonna keep moving us forward because that's what Cincinnati is and that's what the Collaborative has. A Sure we helped Cincinnati do move forward. Had we not built in the framework of say and problem solving to address public safety and policing issues, we wouldn't have
all the development. You wouldn't have a downtown that you see is vibrant. The Collaborative helped rebuild Cincinnati. And you know, I don't know if you know this, mister cunnyh but the police and I have traveled the country together to talk about it. So when you say police, whom are you talking about? I just got back from Madison, Wisconsin.
You should The FOP said they won't collaborate with you, and you're wrong.
Well, who's FOP? I mean there are many there are many members. Well, there are many members, and you don't have to meet the police to be an FOP.
Surely when that happened, there was some The mayor came on some of the media and said that they're going to meet with you and they're going to identify problems when you interfere with an arrest and hopefully that'll get better. Did you meet with the mayor about your involvement and the arrest of a person that you seem to interfere with.
Did you get But your facts are wrong. No one was arrested. There was a recitable ticket. So that's how I know you're speaking from me ill because your facts are not wrong.
Conference, they're going to get with you and counsel you and help you to understand. Did you ever speak to the mayor on that issue?
I'm spoken to the mayor about many issues.
Did he talk about that issue? Did he change your behavior? Did her behavior?
I don't think so, mister. No, No, I don't think so. And here's what I didn't do, because if I broke the law, I expect to be arrested, but they did not because they just want to take a.
Problem.
Well, mister Cunningham, let me tell you what happened. The way younger than I'm gonna call you, mister Cunningham, but I'm old enough to be respected. And so here's the deal. If I broke the law, I would expect for any officer that I've talked to, and I've talked to way more cops than you have. I've talked to way more cops than most of the people that you bring in your studio. You know why I can say that, mister Cunham, because I talked to every recruit class. I have done
that since the year of two thousand and eight. Now here's where I think people get their panties in a bunch. And forgive me for my colorful language, because I'm very colified. I don't know, so I don't know. I don't know so, so, mister Gunnaham, here's what I will say to you again in twenty five years if that is the issue that you have. And I've not killed anyone, I'm not to meet.
I'm not. I'm not. But if the police say that they because the officer officer heard who I spoke to was the same officer twice, female copt the same officer twice. And I'm not going to tell you the story because I don't think you're interested in facts. Y'all want a gaslight. But that's cool too, because you can do that. I report the facts, but the facts were it was a recitable ticket.
Did the mayor ever talk to you and say, Irish, kind of calm down a little bit, don't interfere with an arrested and Mary tell you.
That the mayor after a peer of all which we should re elect, has always been concerned with my well being and has always been answer the question, but has always been policed. I am I'm answering the way that I think that you deserve an.
Answer yes or no. Did the police did? Then?
I've talked to the mayor about many things, Miss Ham.
Okay not on another issue, the issue of the collaborative. Do you think after twenty five years, there's many dozens of police agencies in the Tri State, dozens of police agencies. Since Tide Police is one of many police agencies, only one has a collaborative. Do you think the police in Cincinnati have racial tendencies of such a quality that the collaborative needs to be an effect when all the other police agencies in the Tri State don't. What's unique about
Cincinnati police? Who've had black police chiefs, black captains, et cetera, black mayors, Black.
Cities have one black captain right now well in the past. So we have issues diversity diversity. Yes, we still have issues of competency that we have. We have issues of diversity as respect to who is in our police division period.
The question is what is unique about CPD that all the other police agencies don't need someone like you to implement the collaborative. Are they different than all the other agencies in Ambulenty County.
I think that they're not courageous enough. One I've been sued, so we sued CPD in federal court, so you have to do the mandate of the federal court. And what I do appreciate about what's unique about CPD is all of this training and all of this work and understanding around who the people are that they do police. I think they're extremely unique. I've been trained by the best, and that's what I said to King Kober the day
of what you're talking about. When you said, I interrupted, I'm trained by CPD, so I know how to I know how to read you, I know how to read your body language, and I know how to read someone standing by you. There was no threat of violence. I've been trained by CPD very well. So I saw that and it was it was.
A question or SINTI police still racist?
If you look at the data that comes from our citizens Complain Authority, seventy percent of our complaints are by African Americans. I'll let your finishship answer the question. They may not be racist. I don't know what they are. I don't so they may be policing differently in one way than they are in this way. And this is the beauty of the collaborative. This is a job that taxpayers pay for. I pay taxes, mister Cunningham. I'm looking for reciprocity on my tax dollar, not only investment into
the community. But I'm looking at reciprocity. And not only that, mister Cunningham, I'm looking at how I can fit into this and help what the collaborative has done for the city of Cincinnati. Dear sir, if you're looking for facts, it has reduced injuries to officers, lawsuits, injuries to citizens. So yes, it's unique. Yes, it's still needs. Yes we still have a long way.
Not Hamlety County Sheriff's office, Green Town, not Sycamore Township, only Cincinnati Police.
All of them, all of them.
So well you're that.
You're no, sir, not But you're the attorney. So can you legally sue multiple agencies at one time? No, you can't. I'll answer you. We were only we could only sue in Cincinnati. But what I will say to you, dear sir, mister Cunningham. Is that all of the ones that you just said out of your mouth they need help. And guess what they borrow from BAM the collaborative agreement.
Tracy Hunter, see Hunter, Judge Hunter, Judge Hunter, and speak for herself. She'd be for herself. So she you went out and picket at the home of my good friend, Judge Patrick dink Locker to protest a sentence that he imposed on Tracy Hunter.
Protests a sentence and protest the injustice and protest him having no drug out of court. Yes, I did, all right.
Yes, she was convicted by a multi racial jury of one count of felony. She went through the entire appeal process for years and dink A Lockers is still in court right now. Wasn't the trial judge. It was Natal who left the bench. And then you took it upon yourself to picket someone's home for following their legal duty to give her a sentence, which, by the way.
And that's what make Dan Heels upset and said I shouldn't be collaborating. So since the exception, well, extremely when Pat dink A Locker issues justice fairly in our in our hour and so and listen and listen. This is the greatest point of democracy that you can disagree. And we did no damage to his home. We didn't dox him, We didn't put his address out in the universe and say, go, hey, threaten his wife and kids are grandkids. I'm like folks
that listen to seven hundred. Wow, that has happened to me since all of this stuff, all this vituol and discord has come about a collaborative agreement in Iris Rowly. So yes, sir, I did utilize one tool in this civil rights handbook too.
Are you set away? No?
Why would I be.
Sorry because it was wrongful? No? Why is it because the judge simply did his or her job In this case it was a man and we simply disagree, disagreed. Yeah. Also, when it comes down to what happened on July twenty sixth, did you meet with the victims of the beatdown on July twenty sixth, the so called wife victims and talk to them about what happened to them?
No, Sarah did not.
Why not?
They didn't call me?
What do you have to only you respond to circumstances.
People call my phone all the time, mister Gunaham. People call my phone and they want help. They didn't call me.
The three CDC put out a video about a week ago which clearly demonstrated that the future criminal defendant started this thing with Alex t as I call it, and he was hit first. Yet the city leader stood up about a week later and demanded criminal charges against a person because of the color of their skin. Happened to be white white person.
Charge, No, sir, don't do that. Don't do that. I'm just saying what I don't do that. Don't do that.
Don't you want?
No, No, don't don't don't make it, don't make it.
BA want based on race? A person would.
Charge because all of the African Americans were charged, and then they were charged with additional charges from the class.
Case the other ones who committed criminal actions.
But here's what I will tell you. I spoke to Interim police Chief Handy on Friday.
And do you think should have been put on administrative leave? I don't.
That's that's above mine. No, I can't say yes or no that.
I'm not saying, have you told police that she should not have been put on leaves?
I would not say that. I would not interfere in the question about absolutely about the civil rights leader standing up and demanding a person to be charged of the crime based upon race based is that based on equity and fairness, based on the application, based on the application
of the law. But let me say the fact is I spoke to Interim Chief Heney on Friday because I couldn't remember if this is a video that I knew that they had seen or that I had seen, because there were so many videos out there right there are tons of them. There was tons of them. So when I spoke to Interim Chief Heney, I said, just because the questions are coming to me. He said, Irish, we saw that video. That's the video that the city solicitors saw that. Then the charges were made against.
Who was hit first.
I think once you stopped. I think once you stop and start. I think once you stop and start. But that will be a question for the city solicitor and the city manager and the police entrant police.
This is principle.
If if you do know the interim police chief did sign that.
And the line officers would not sign it because it was wrong, and wouldn't sign it because it was wrong.
I've not heard that. I've not heard that from the Chief of police. I've not heard her say that at all, and we talked through that. And as a matter of fact, here's another fact that you probably don't know. When the when the community was called forgetting the warrant sign, I spoke with Chief Theji. She did not know where mister Jermaine I can't think of his last name was. I actually did find him because he was in the Justice Center.
That principle, if civil rights leaders and civil authority stand up and demand a person be charged because of the color of their skin.
That's not what we demanded it.
As a matter of principle, isn't that wrong.
That what you're saying is incorrect. So if you listen to more over the black community and some non black people, and as some non black people thought, well, and we disagree, I'm even great.
Should a person be charged because of the color of their skin?
No, they should be charged based on facts.
Why didn't happen in this case?
It did happen. They were charged based on facts because he slapped a man.
But he slapped a man after he was punched twice in the back of the head first.
But when you look at the video, mister Kunny Hammond, I know there are too. There are two worlds. They're too worlds. There's a nod, there's a privileged world, and then there's.
The privilege thousand bucks a year an goodness.
No, I'm not sorry, No, I'm not sir. I feed children, I take care of children, and I help my community. There is not enough to pay Iris really for the goodness that she's done in the city. And you don't have to say thank you while we're on the air. I'll wait until well off.
As far as continuing, should we continue with the mayor? Is the mayor autel long as the city manager? Yes, you in charge of the collaborative.
I'm not in charge of the collaborative. I just worked the communities and worked that.
But you're paid right by tax dollars. I am paid s with the same mayor, the same city manager, you and others involved of criminal justice. And is this the future of Cincinnati.
Mister Cunningham, I would, I would venture to say, I think you've called some more discord in this process in twenty five years that Iris rowly has. You've not even heard from Irish. Well you would, but you've not even me finished. Won't let me you most certainly doing you get to espouse it all day, every day. But this is the first time you've heard Iris Roly name in years. Outside of all the great work at the transit site, this is the first time you've heard anything negative. So again, sir,
I would challenge you. Yes, you will be I've been there since February twenty twenty four.
You know it's my good friend.
I've not had any issues.
It's my good friend, Charlie Kirk said before he was murdered in cold blood. When the talking stops is when the violence begins. I say, let's keep talking. That's what we've been doing without accusations.
That's what we've been doing. That's what we've been doing. That's what I've been doing.
When you come on again in a month or you got the you I'm.
Married to that guy right there. You crazy. I will be back. I'm a member of the Since Name Black and Underfront. But listen, this is what I have for you, mister Cunningham. This is the full collaborative agreement.
I want you to read it. I cant you can have I got this right. You're a diploma right now.
You can't have my diploma. That's my participatory Read it though, I want you to read it to the people so they'll know.
Center for Problem Oriented Policing presents the Herman Goldstein Award and Recognition of Excellence and Problem Oriented Policing to Missus, Iris, Rowley Society, Black United Front.
There you go. So and I was with intem cheap chief Henny with assistant.
Did he see the tape ahead of time when he signed.
The falseho You should get him in here and talk to him.
Why don't you ask the mayor and Hanny to come in here that I've asked him, They won't come on. They we got the guts to show up. I'll give you credit for that, but.
You don't make it. You don't make it warm and fuzzy. You don't make me fish to come with security.
You got two big men that.
It comes to.
Arm wrestled those security to this. Will you come back in a month or two?
But let me say I have all the guts. You know what I typically say to people, My balls are beginning us. But my husband told me stop saying that. So listen, are you transgender?
No?
I'm not. No, I'm not some are you? You sound like it? Though? This is you got your Monday's on to day with this Monday. But listen Tuesday that you should have had on Sunday the way the Bengals play. But but that's a whole other story.
Why don't you come on again? If you got the guns, Irish Rowley, will you come on and do it and come down to the transit center.
When are you coming? When are you coming?
My people will be in touch. Will you guarantee my security?
My secure? I got you, I got you guys looking talk to him. But mister help. The other piece that I have for you is this is Actrocincy.
This is what all this to give me homework.
You better read it too.
I will be I know who you learned from? Games and games?
So who was his? Who was his college roommate? Uh? Was that you?
Judge? Robert Franklin was a roommate of mL King of nineteen forty eight more houses?
Do you question in my civil rights activity?
Merit? I don't believe in the.
Well you die? Well, why in the world when we're gonna break that up, let's break it up with time. So tell them to stop f and when iris really we're doing better? Got you?
You got me yours? Thank you? We have to think God Bless America.
God Bless America.
Seven hundred W l W