I do need to clarify a statement I made on the Jayland Walker Family legal settlement that was announced in October. I had thought that this would have to be approved by City Council but have learned that settlements and judgements do not come before Council. As Akron is self insured, this will come out of the 2024 Budget and will continue for 3 more years. The other option was to go to court and let a jury decide and the administration felt it was better to agree on an amount rather than go to trial.
We also had an incident at Firestone High School with the APD schools officers and a teenager that resulted in the teen being punched by an officer. This is unfortunate for all involved, and it has brought up a number of issues on how police in our schools should work. APS, Akron and APD are looking at options to create safe learning environments for our students, teachers and schools.
With this in mind, please plan to attend my November Ward Meeting this Wednesday, 11/20 at 6:00pm at Northwest Community Center as we’ll have a discussion with representatives from Akron Police Department and the Citizen’s Police Oversight Board on the investigation and discipline process for our police officers.