Akron Mayor Shammas Malik is once again proposing a review of the Akron Police Department’s use-of-force policies — nearly three months after his original plan to hire a major New York law firm was rejected by Akron City Council.
Malik previously called the policy review “the most significant issue facing our city.” Legislation on Monday afternoon brought to City Council’s Public Safety Committee appears to address several of the reasons Malik’s first proposal failed to garner enough City Council support:
- The first proposal was viewed as too expensive by some members (initially between $640,000 and $768,000)
- The law firm, Paul, Weiss, was proposed without a competitive process
- The University of Akron wasn’t tapped — a sticking point for Council President Margo Sommerville.
The new proposal allows the mayor’s office to spend up to $350,000 on a “comprehensive review” of APD’s force policies. The firm conducting the review will be chosen after a request for proposals (RFP) process, a more transparent process for the public, and, as Malik explained to the public safety committee on Monday, the contractor the city selects must involve the University of Akron’s Department of Criminal Justice Studies.
Council Member Phil Lombardo remains opposed to a use-of-force policy review. Once again, he philosophically rejected the concept that Akron police officers should face scrutiny or more restrictive rules on using force when he believes the larger issue is community members not obeying officers’ orders. He said force incidents constitute a small percentage of police encounters — one in every 497 calls, according to APD statistics — and he said that only a small portion of the community gets upset by it.
“While this is a small number of calls,” Malik responded, “they are really life-and-death issues” for residents and officers.
Council Member Johnnie Hannah also disagreed with Lombardo.
“As a Black male in the city of Akron, you don’t see what I see,” Hannah said.
Council Member Eric Garrett echoed Hannah, saying Lombardo downplaying the seriousness of the issue “is not right.”
Mayor previously called for review of force policy
Malik first sought City Council approval to spend money on a police use-of-force policy review in December, shortly after a police officer fatally shot teenager Jazmir Tucker on Thanksgiving night. Malik also faced intense criticism for rejecting a call from Independent Police Auditor Anthony Finnell to discipline the officer who in January 2024 body slammed and arrested Dierra Fields. (She was later found not guilty of two charges — resisting arrest and obstructing official business — after a daylong trial in Akron Municipal Court.)
In the body slam case, Malik said despite not liking what occurred, he did not feel the officer violated the police department’s current use-of-force policy.
The policy essentially permits all use of force if police supervisors feel an officer’s force in the moment could have been viewed as “objectively reasonable,” regardless of how troublesome it may seem later. Because of this, Malik pledged to review the policy he said prevented him from disciplining the officer.
Malik’s first proposal, introduced in December and debated in public over the next two months, was rejected by City Council in February with a 9-4 vote.
Why review would be less expensive this time
Malik said this review would be cheaper than the first one he proposed because the community involvement sections, such as hosting forums and soliciting feedback, can be handled by a recently hired public engagement specialist and other city staffers.
City Council’s Public Safety Committee chose to take more time to discuss Malik’s proposal before voting on it. It’s unclear when that vote might occur.
If it passes, Malik said the request for proposals period — when contractors pitch why they should receive the contract — will be open for a month. He said the winning firm may take up to nine months to complete its task.
