Families, advocates press Canton City Council over CPS and police conduct; council says it lacks authority

Dozens of residents and family members used the council's public-comment period to press for accountability in cases they said involved Child Protective Services and the Canton Police Department, accusing agencies of hiding evidence and using excessive force. Council leaders responded that the city council has limited statutory authority over CPS and family-court decisions.

The complaints came in a string of emotional statements. "Officer Garrett Marino is who took my brother's life away wrongfully," said Bella Fornash, a Uniontown resident, who described the Dec. 5, 2023, death of her brother and said Marino had a record of prior suspensions and uses of force. "No family should mourn the way mine has for a year and a half," Fornash said.

Why it matters: Speakers tied their appeals to public-safety and civil-rights concerns and urged council members to act to prevent future harm. Several urged the council to use its oversight of city policing to press for reforms; others asked the city to elevate complaints to county officials and courts.

Shimon Russell, who provided an address to the council, alleged barriers to appeals in family and supreme courts and urged systemic change, saying, "The system is broken and things need to change." Stephanie Farrell said her own case is open and accused CPS of "fraud" and of preventing parents from seeing records. Justin Nicely urged greater local accountability and named multiple local law-enforcement units and officers in a critique of how agencies respond to complaints.

Council response and limits: The presiding officer repeatedly told speakers that council does not have authority over CPS or elected family-court judges and advised residents to bring concerns to county commissioners or the appropriate courts. "CPS has certain state law, statutory authority ... given by the state of the Ohio legislature, not by city council," the presiding officer said, noting that Canton Police sometimes assist CPS under statutory authority but that management and appeals lie elsewhere.

Policy asks and next steps: Advocates and residents urged the council to pursue local reforms. Skylark Bruce urged council members to codify the so-called "8 can't wait" reforms and to take actions the city can control. Council members said they would pursue follow-up, including outreach to county representatives and school officials, and encouraged speakers to bring their concerns to the bodies with direct jurisdiction.

No formal council action on CPS or police discipline was recorded during the meeting; the public-comment period consisted of appeals, allegations, and calls for further investigation and policy change. The council reiterated procedural options for residents who want formal review — county commissioners, elected judges, and law-enforcement internal processes.