Akron officials are trying once again to conduct a review of the police department鈥檚 use-of-force policies. This time, the plan has a cheaper price tag than the $640,000 plan rejected by Akron City Council earlier this year.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik wants to put out a request for proposals to find and hire a consultant for the review. If approved, the city would spend $350,000 on the contract, he said.
The policy review would ensure Akron police officers have the best possible training, Malik said during City Council鈥檚 public safety committee meeting Monday.
鈥淭his is not saying every use of force is improper or should not have happened. This is saying, 鈥楬ow can we best approach these really fraught situations?鈥欌�� Malik said.
Leaders and community members have called for a policy review in the wake of several fatal police shootings over the past several years, including Jayland Walker in 2022 and the death of 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker in November of last year.
Aside from shootings, uses of force can include punches, kicks, takedowns and deployment of Tasers, Police Chief Brian Harding said.
Akron鈥檚 police auditor, who investigates use-of-force incidents, has repeatedly called for a use-of-force policy review, particularly calling out the department鈥檚 procedures around head strikes and Tasers.
Officers are on board with the new proposal, Harding said.
鈥淥ur officers really want the best training and policies they can get, however, they also want to make sure they have a voice in how they鈥檙e implemented,鈥� Harding said. 鈥淭his request for proposals gives our officers, the community and our community stakeholders a voice in the process.鈥�
Aside from disagreeing with the cost, council members also criticized the previous plan because Malik had wanted to work with an external firm led by former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, rather than a local entity.
Under the new proposal, experts in the University of Akron鈥檚 criminal justice studies program would work together with the consultant, particularly with implementing recommendations that come out of the review, Malik said.
鈥淭hey will help support the review, but I think more importantly, they鈥檒l be alongside the process so that they can help us in a more lasting way over the long term,鈥� Malik said. 鈥淭he university criminal justice studies department will kind of have been a part of the process all along, and can then help us then, directly, in the implementation.鈥�
Council President Margo Sommerville said the new plan is a compromise that includes elements both the Malik administration and council members want.
鈥淭his is a good 鈥榤eeting in the middle鈥� to address something that we all know that we must move forward on,鈥� Sommerville said.
Councilmember Phil Lombardo questioned whether the policy review is needed because uses of force are relatively rare in the department, about one in every 497 police calls, according to the police department鈥檚 most recent data.
鈥淪o we鈥檝e got $350,000 on the table for 鈥� what exactly is the problem? I guess I kind of go back to that,鈥� Lombardo said.
Several council members pushed back on Lombardo鈥檚 question. In response, Chief Harding said the policy review could include national best practices about using force and de-escalation.
鈥淲e also need to make sure we鈥檙e staying current on what the current case law and current best practices are around passive resistance, active resistance, active aggression and deadly force cases,鈥� Harding. 鈥淲hile [force is] used very infrequently, we need to be consistently training on this regard.鈥�
Councilmember Johnnie Hannah expressed concern that the city does not want to hire a local firm. Malik said they will explore all options in the request for proposals.
Council voted to take time on the legislation Monday and will consider it at a future meeting.
