Resident criticizes Canton police awards, says leadership is "sweeping issues under the rug"

At the Canton City Council public-comment period, Skylark Bruce criticized the Canton Police Department for awarding officers he described as having sustained use-of-force violations and urged the city to take measurable steps to change department culture.

Bruce, who identified himself and gave his address, said some officers who received awards have documented, sustained use-of-force violations after internal investigation. He named victims in specific cases and said the department’s public messaging — including the chief’s expressions of pride — suggests problems are being minimized rather than addressed.

"It appears he thinks that any issues must be inconsequential and swept under the rug," Bruce said, urging the council to ask what the administration has done to measurably change the department’s culture.

Bruce also said that four hours of training and two personnel actions are not sufficient given recent cases; he called for new policies, funding changes or other steps to ensure accountability. The transcript records no direct response from police leadership or a city official during the meeting.

Why it matters: The commenter linked awards and honors to broader concerns about officer conduct and department oversight, raising questions for residents about how the city assesses and disciplines officers and how the chief communicates about department performance.

Next steps recorded: The meeting record does not show a formal reply or an announced follow-up from the administration; the remarks were part of the public-comment period and no committee referral was recorded in the transcript.