Citizen Oversight Board Approved by Akron City Council
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of City of Akron Press Office
Published: 09-27-2022
Akron, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2022 — Last night, Akron City Council approved Mayor Horrigan’s proposed ordinance to create a citizen oversight board in the City of Akron. You can read the approved ordinance here.
“I want to thank City Council for carefully considering the proposal and for getting the Citizen Oversight Board established here in Akron,” said Mayor Dan Horrigan. “I look forward to working with our community members as we strengthen police community relations together and I believe this Board will be a catalyst to those better relationships.”
Under the new ordinance, Mayor Horrigan will be responsible for appointing six (6) members of the Board with Council’s approval. The other five (5) members will be appointed directly by Council. Applications for the six Board members that Mayor Horrigan will appoint, will open soon.
Forming this Citizen Oversight Board fulfills a key recommendation set forth by the Racial Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) Task Force.
The Citizen Oversight Board will receive, refer and monitor citizen complaints of the Akron Police Department (APD), routinely assess and make recommendations on the quality and effectiveness of APD’s hiring, training, investigatory and disciplinary processes and outcomes, and collect community input and facilitate police-community communication. They will engage in community outreach and facilitate meaningful communication between the citizenry and APD, and will act in an advisory capacity to the City government in connection with citizen oversight of APD.
In addition to the creation of the Board, the ordinance creates an Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to be overseen solely by the Board. The OIG will consist of a full-time Inspector General, an Assistant Inspector, and an Administrative Specialist. The OIG will provide support functions to the Board as they conduct their work. The OIG’s duties include managing Board records and accounts, facilitating meetings, conducting review and research, and generating reports, presentations, and public-facing dashboards/platforms. The authority to direct the OIG is delegated solely to the Board.
Mayor Horrigan aims to submit his recommendations for the Board to City Council by the end of the year with a goal of seating the Board by Q1 2023. The ordinance allows for flexibility should edits be required and the city is prepared to make any needed changes to the ordinance before seeking a Charter amendment on the Nov. 2023 ballot.
For further information, contact:
City of Akron Press Office
Phone: 330-375-2754
E-mail: [email protected]
