AKRON, Ohio — A new law in Akron requires police to expeditiously release footage from officers’ body and dash cameras for any incident in which deadly force is used or causes serious bodily injury.

What You Need To Know

  • A year in the making, Akron City Council passed the ordinance Monday night, which requires the footage to be posted on a city website within seven days of the event

  • Matthews has an organization called "Literacy in the Hood" that provides children with free books

  • If multiple cameras were used, footage will include at least three camera angles, while all recordings will be released within 30 days

  • Akron approved the charter change in the General Election last November with nearly 89% approval

A year in the making, Akron City Council passed the ordinance on Monday night, which requires the footage to be posted on an Akron Police Department website within seven days of the event, the city said.

If multiple cameras were in play during the event, released footage will include at least three camera angles, the city said, and all footage of the incident will be released on the website within 30 days.

Akron outfitted the entire police department with bodycams and dash cams in 2017.

“Akron is now a leader among peer cities across the country when it comes to public accountability in police use-of-force cases,” Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a release. “This ordinance demonstrates our commitment to being open, transparent and — importantly —consistent.”

Releasing police recordings was among several recommendations made last July by a citizen-led task force charged with reviewing the city’s charter.

City Council voted to put the recommendation on the ballot in the November 2020 general election, when it garnered 88.8% of votes.

City Council President Margo Sommerville said that level of citizen support makes it clear people want an accurate understanding of such incidents.

“This new law prioritizes the interests of the citizens we all serve,” she said. “While we hope that these incidents do not occur in our city, we can now be confident that if they do, information and video will be released to the public quickly.”

Police use-of-force occurrences are rare in Akron, although any are “unwelcome and serious," Horrigan said.

“Releasing this footage will allow the public to see for themselves what occurred, including the moments leading up to the event,” he said.

The charter review task force found that public laws, managed by the state, “left significant discretion and inconsistency” in how the police footage is released.

As a result, the city will make videos of all use-of-force events available to the public in their entirety, senior strategic counsel Ellen Lander Nischt said in the release.

“Footage will only be redacted if mandated by law, including laws protecting the privacy of personal information like Social Security numbers or nudity, or if a court orders the city to withhold the footage,” she said.

Akron residents who believe police footage is being withheld from the public can petition the city to release it by filing a written petition by email or delivering a petition by hard copy to the Akron Law Department’s Civil Division, 161 S. High St., Suite 202, Akron, Ohio, 44308.