GRATIS, Ohio — An Ohio police chief has been terminated from her position following an unauthorized visit to three Cincinnati Public Schools on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, local officials announced.
The Gratis Village Council voted 4-2 on Thursday night to officially remove Chief Tonina Lamana from her post.
The disciplinary action stems from an incident last month when Lamana and a second officer, Jeffrey Baylor, traveled to the schools. The Cincinnati Public Schools campuses are located more than an hour away from the village of Gratis. Lamana and Baylor were initially placed on administrative leave while an investigation was conducted into their actions.
Baylor and another department officer subsequently resigned from their positions. The officers involved stated that they drove to the metropolitan schools to conduct what they described as wellness checks.
The Gratis Police Department had been participating in a federal program that permits local law enforcement agencies to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enforce immigration laws. However, the scope of that agreement restricts the authority of local officers to their own municipal jurisdiction. Following the school visits, the village suspended its involvement with the federal immigration program.
With the recent terminations and resignations, the Gratis Police Department has been reduced to just five remaining police officers. Village leaders stated that they intend to evaluate the department and determine their next operational steps during meetings in June.
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