By Office of the Cincinnati City Manager and The Cincinnati Herald Staff
CINCINNATI, OH – The City Manager’s Office approved the recommendation made by Interim Police Chief Teresa Theetge to terminate Cincinnati Police Officer Rose Valentino on August 29. An internal investigation determined Valentino used a racial slur while on-duty and in uniform on April 5, 2022.
“As the Interim Chief of the Cincinnati Police Department there are many things that I must take into consideration when determining the appropriate discipline for an officer’s misconduct. Most importantly, I must consider the community’s trust. In law enforcement, the community’s trust is the foundation of what gives us the authority to perform our duties. Officer Valentino’s agitated demeanor and the statement she made while on duty is not only inexcusable and incredibly hurtful, but it damages the public’s trust we have worked so hard to build over the past 20 years, since the inception of the Collaborative Agreement.
As the Interim Police Chief, I must also weigh Officer Valentino’s future ability to police a diverse community that relies upon an impartial party to protect and serve. Officer Valentino’s clear loss of her emotions and ready use of the racial slur tarnished her ability to work with any community member or member of the Cincinnati Police Department hurt by her hateful words. This significantly reduces, if not eliminates, Officer Valentino’s ability to be a productive member of the police department.
I want to be clear; this type of hateful speech will not be tolerated by anyone who works for the Cincinnati Police Department, sworn or civilian,” said Interim Police Chief Teresa Theetge.
Dan Hilz, president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) said that using racial slurs is wrong and cannot be tolerated.
Councilmember Scotty Johnson is working with the administration and Vice Mayor Kearney on a zero tolerance policy on racial slurs for all city employees.
