“We don’t have a lot of meat on our bone,” said Kemp Boyd, the chair of Akron’s Citizens’ Police Oversight Board as he explained the disconnect between what the public believes the board can do and the actual powers it has.
The board has tried to “swing for the fences” and ask for more authority in the two years since it was created, Boyd said Wednesday. But in December of 2023, City Council rejected the board’s first set of proposed rules, which would have given it power to subpoena witnesses, including police officers, and conduct parallel investigations of alleged police misconduct.
In February, the board’s first set of governing rules was approved. These rules give it the authority to review completed investigations of allegations of police conduct, but not at the same time as the police department.
There is no requirement that the mayor’s office or police chief follow any recommendations the board makes.
Police oversight meeting addresses use-of-force issues
The CPOB invited the community and local law enforcement to the Wednesday meeting, its first since an Akron police officer shot and killed 15-year-old Jazmir Tucker, to air concerns and ask questions of the board. This comes amid concerns regarding controversial incidents of use of force by the Akron police, along with a proposal for an outside review of the police department’s use-of-force practices.
Among the commenters’ concerns was the lack of punishment so far for Davon Fields, the police officer who fatally shot Tucker on Thanksgiving evening and who has filed 36 use-of-force reports since January 2022.
Fields was placed on administrative leave following the shooting. Commenter Ashley White said that paid leave is not a punishment.
“I don’t understand how when you have a job where these are standards — you can keep your camera off. You can bring your weapon in — you can decide to do whatever you want, and you don’t get punished,” White said.
Multiple public commenters mentioned Cleveland’s police oversight division, which has the power to discipline officers because it operates under a consent decree issued by the Department of Justice.
Boyd told Signal Akron that the board doesn’t necessarily need to be able to fire people. He said that, to begin with, the board’s recommendations should be taken seriously and actually implemented.
“I don’t know how the cycle breaks, if you will,” Boyd told Signal Akron. “…Something has to break the cycle that we’re in as a city, and I mean that holistically.”
Board member said community needs to help push future charter amendments forward
“What are happening to these cops after these things happen? And how can we help? And how can we change those things if they’re not efficient?” asked commenter Fela Sutton.
Sutton said that she has seen good things come out of the police oversight board, but she had not been able to contribute to them. She wanted to know how the community could help the oversight board.
Board Vice Chair Donzella Anuszkiewicz said that the board needs the community to vote in favor of charter amendments when they are on the table.
“Trust and believe there’s gonna be some amendments to this charter, and that’s where you the public comes in to play,” Anuszkiewicz said.
Board acknowledges city’s proposal for outside use-of-force review
Public commenter Leah Holden referenced Rev. Joyce Penfield, who spoke during public comment at Monday’s City Council meeting — Penfield urged City Council not to take up the proposed $768,000 use-of-force review if it will result in another report with no action. Holden said that political will to enforce things like use-of-force policy reforms is generated by the people.
“I really encourage all of us to stick with this process and to muster the political will to really make change,” Holden said.
Board member Robert Gippin said that he is “extremely pleased” to see the proposal for the use-of-force review put forward. Akron Mayor Shammas Malik proposed last week that the city pay up to $768,000 to the Paul, Weiss law firm and 21 CP Solutions to review the Akron Police Department’s use-of-force policies.
“It’s certainly something that we’ve been urging almost since we came into being,” Gippin said “As described, I think it has every promise of success.” Board member Crystal Jones was also in favor of the report, but said she was concerned that without mandates in place, “at the end of the day it will just be yet another report,” a sentiment that Boyd and Anuszkiewicz agreed with.
