AKRON, Ohio — Tuesday’s midterm election ended a weeks-long flurry of messaging directing Akronites to vote for or against Issue 10, with the measure prevailing.
A charter amendment creating a citizen review board to provide oversight for the Akron Police Department, Issue 10 passed with the approval of nearly 62% of Akronites who voted.
Freedom Bloc, the main organization behind Issue 10, along with Akron NAACP and other groups, issued a celebratory statement early Wednesday, thanking the group’s volunteers and nearly 30,000 voters who approved the amendment, saying passage of measure is only the beginning.
“You will continue to see us on the doors in every ward to find great candidates for the civilian oversight board,” the group wrote. “We will seek individuals to build a team of strong, diverse community leaders who will work with the administration to insure we write the best legislation to ensure safety in our community.”
The desire to create a police oversight board was in response to the fatal police shooting of Jayland Walker in June. Walker, a 25-year-old Black man, who police said fired a weapon during a car and foot chase, was unarmed when he was shot nearly 50 times by multiple officers.
With its passage, the Issue 10 charter amendment supersedes an ordinance City Council approved in September that created a civilian review board.
The city’s goal was to first establish the board via an ordinance, and put the issue before voters next year as a charter amendment after details of the board were worked out, said Mayor Dan Horrigan when he introduced the ordinance.
Amendments to the city’s charter are more permanent than an ordinance because the charter can only be changed via a citizen vote, officials said.
On Wednesday, Horrigan also issued a post-election statement, saying it was clear Akronites wanted a more permanent review board than the ordinance.
“I respect the will of the voters and support the creation of the Citizens’ Police Oversight Board,” he said. “The city’s law department will now take the next steps to determine the best path forward for the creation of the newly passed board.”
Board-member selection was already under way for the city’s review board, Horrigan said, and 60 applications submitted for board positions will be kept on file as the process moves forward.
As the law department evaluates the two initiatives, decisions will need to be made to flesh out the details and City Council has a June 30, 2023 deadline to pass any required legislation, the mayor said.
“We may have chosen different paths to get here, but as long as we're unified in moving forward, I believe the formation of this board can and will make Akron stronger,” Horrigan said.
City Council Vice President Jeff Fusco has staunchly opposed Issue 10.
Among his concerns, voiced during City Council committee meetings, was that the charter amendment could interfere with the police union’s contract, leading to lawsuits costing the city money needed for safety and infrastructure improvements.
He also expressed concerns over perceptions of the Akron Police Department.
“At this time, many have chosen to vilify all police officers, which is truly unfair,” he said. “We have work to do with this new charter amendment. We will do that. We will do what's best to protect our streets, residents and families.”
In a statement, Bobby DiCello, an attorney for the Walker family, referred to Issue 10 as “Jayland’s Law,” saying the family is “overjoyed” at the passage of the amendment.
“Since the 1960s, Akron residents have asked their city leaders for citizen oversight of their police department,” he said. “Until last night, those requests had been denied. The passage of Issue 10 allows Akron to join a growing number of cities that have turned to citizen oversight panels and independent police auditors to review incidents of police misconduct.”
While the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation is looking into the shooting, no charges of misconduct against Akron officers have been issued.
City Councilman Phil Lombardo was the sole member of City Council to vote “no” during a required City Council vote to place Issue 10 on ballots, once Summit County Board of Elections validated that the required 2,678 signatures had been collected.
“We're just micromanaging too much our police officers and, you know, be careful what you wish for,” Lombardo said. “We already have a problem recruiting, we already have a problem getting people to show up for the test, let alone pass the test and all those other steps that they have to take to just to become a police officer.”
Lombardo said between BCI, the Akron Police Auditor and the Ohio Attorney General’s office, police have enough oversight.
City Councilwoman Nancy Holland, a practicing labor attorney, said the citizen led-campaign behind Issue 10 was impressive, especially considering the complexity of the process needed to amend a city’s charter.
“Yesterday was an extraordinary win for a citizen-led effort to address social justice issues around policing,” Holland said. “A beautiful, beautiful illustration of democracy at its best, you know, passionate citizens organized and hitting the pavement in the most old-fashioned, original way, going door-to-door and speaking their truth, and collecting the support and the signatures of others.”