Cincinnati is paying an outside law firm $40,000 to investigate Police Chief Teresa Theetge’s performance, according to a copy of the contract obtained by Enquirer media partner Fox 19.
The law firm Frost Brown Todd is expected to investigate several aspects of Theetge’s time as police chief under the agreement, including whether she:
Has been an effective leader and manager of the department, including personnel and resources.
Has been a leader within the context of city government, including by furthering the broader goals and objectives of the city administration.
Has committed any infraction or policy violation while serving as police chief.
Has disregarded best practices in the running of CPD to the detriment of public safety and crime prevention.
The city paid the firm $40,000 with the signing of the contract Oct. 27, capping the cost unless another agreement is signed.
Former Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge looks on as her lawyer Steve Imm speaks to the press on her behalf for on Oct. 21, 2025 in Cincinnati.
The agreement is set to expire before midnight Dec. 31, 2025, indicating the administration would like to have the situation resolved by the end of the year. Mayor Aftab Pureval told the media last week the investigation into Theetge’s performance could take months.
Theetge was placed on paid administrative leave Oct. 20. Her attorney Stephen Imm said the city asked her to resign, but she refused. Imm said the city is using Theetge as a political scapegoat.
While Theetge is on leave, the city is paying her $203,000 annual salary, around $3,900 a week.
Cincinnati Councilman Seth Walsh provided the contract to Fox 19 and said he and fellow council members Jeff Cramerding, Mark Jeffreys and Meeka Owens had signed a motion requesting the documents.
“We barely got more of a heads up than you did regarding the Frost Brown Todd hiring,” Walsh told Fox 19. “We’re using a source of funds that we don’t know what the source is, that doesn’t need council’s approval.”
Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long signed the contract to hire Frost Brown Todd to investigate Police Chief Teresa Theetge.
The city has come under fire this summer as crime in the urban core spiked. A series of high-profile crimes have drawn national attention, including the killing of Patrick Heringer in his Over-the-Rhine home and a widely shared video of a fight in Downtown.
Pureval and Long called Theetge back from a national conference early to address public safety after an October shooting on Fountain Square left two with minor gunshot wounds.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati pays firm $40K to investigate Police Chief Teresa Theetge
Teresa Theetge, Cincinnati, Frost Brown Todd, city administration, Police Chief
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