There’s been a lot of news stories regarding Mayor Malik’s request for a comprehensive study on the Akron Police Department’s (APD) Use of Force policy, along with pending legislation to hire a consultant that is before City Council. We on Council have taken time to get more information on the Mayor’s selection process, learn what other groups were considered, and what we are getting for this $640,000 request. We did get more information last Monday, and may be bringing this up for a vote by the end of February.
As I have heard, the Administration reached out to a number of firms and has received six proposals, some for more and less money and with varying degrees of community/stake holder involvement. Their recommended proposal is a collaboration of the law firm of Paul Weiss and policing consultant 21 CP Solutions. This proposal covers a comprehensive review of APD’s of use force policies and trainings, along with accountability systems and community perceptions of public safety. They are committed to working with APD, the FOP, the Citizens Police Oversight Board, and other community stakeholders, and it includes a number of in-person community engagement sessions of which four will be citywide round tables discussions. It is a probably the most comprehensive and robust proposal received, but it should be for the price tag. As a side note, Akron has paid out more than 10 times this amount in use of force settlements since 2012. We simply cannot continue at this rate as these settlements take funds from our neighborhoods and other city services.
I absolutely respect and support our dedicated police officers and appreciate what they do every day to keep Akron residents safe. I want to give them all the training and tools they need, but I also realize that we have to do something here as these incidents are occurring more frequently. The bottom line for me, is how do we keep all Akron residents and our police safe when life and death decisions are made in a snap of a finger.
With this in mind, and a decision coming up, I’d like your input. Let me know what you think, email me ward8@akronohio.gov