Residents urge Akron City Council to speed independent review of police use-of-force policy

Jennifer Boswell told Akron City Council during the public-comment period that the city must move forward on a comprehensive review of the Akron Police Department's use-of-force policy and that the Public Safety Committee has not held substantive discussion since the proposal was presented to council on Dec. 16.

"The use of force policy is desperately in need of revision," Boswell said, adding that "the current policy uses a standard meant to be used in court proceedings rather than one designed to best serve the community." She also said the Office of the Independent Police Auditor has repeatedly offered to work with the Civilian Police Oversight Board and the Akron Police Department on a review and amendment of the policy.

Why it matters: Speakers at the Feb. 1 meeting framed the issue as urgent, saying recent incidents involving APD — including what Boswell described as an officer'involved assault of Deira Fields and other uses of force, some deadly — show the need for policy change and accountability. Boswell urged the Public Safety Committee to either act on the mayor's outside-review proposal, vote it down and offer an alternative, or refer the matter to a special committee or the full council so the review can begin without further delay.

Additional public comments amplified those demands. Lucy Harris asked why officers involved in the death of Jasmine Tucker were not relieved of duty, saying, "Why should anyone feel safe if Akron police are just as criminal, if not more, than the ones that you lock up." Autumn Riddle, who identified herself as a District 7 resident, criticized police union presence at a recent council event and repeated concerns about accountability for the shooting of a 15-year-old she identified as Jasmine Tucker; she also urged the council to prioritize investigations and accountability over other concerns.

Council action and next steps: The meeting record shows the public comments were made during the designated comment period; no formal council vote or direction on a use-of-force policy review was recorded during the meeting. Boswell said the mayor has proposed an outside review by a consultant but described that proposal as carrying a "hefty price tag" and said the Public Safety Committee had not engaged the item. She urged the committee to either reject the proposal and propose alternatives or move the matter to another committee. No motion, referral, or committee vote on the use-of-force review appears in the meeting minutes.

Context and background: Boswell said the original proposal was presented Dec. 16. She recounted a case she said occurred "just over a year ago" in which an officer assaulted Deira Fields during a family dispute and alleged failures by a sergeant, internal affairs and the city prosecutor's office to hold individuals accountable. Those allegations were presented by Boswell as context for her call for an independent policy review; they were not the subject of any formal action during the council meeting.

What speakers requested: Public commenters asked council to (1) initiate a timely independent review of APD's use-of-force policy, (2) ensure any contract for outside review be publicly vetted or put out for bid if members object to a specific consultant or price, and (3) consider alternative committee arrangements if the Public Safety Committee is conflicted.

Quotes (from public comment): "The use of force policy is desperately in need of revision," Jennifer Boswell said. "If the committee doesn't like the idea of an external review, they should vote the proposal down and propose their own solution."

Ending: The council thanked speakers and moved on to the consent agenda; the record does not show council debate or a vote on the use-of-force policy review at that meeting. Members and staff did not announce any immediate next steps or referral on the record during the session.