Akron Citizens' Police Oversight Board appoints Anthony Finnell as auditor
The Akron Citizens' Police Oversight Board has appointed an auditor to independently review the police department's practices.
On Friday evening, the board held a special meeting for the sole purpose of voting to appoint Anthony Finnell as Akron's first independent police auditor. He was approved in a 6-2 vote.
Finnell will assume his position on March 25.
Board chair Kemp Boyd and board member Cati Castle cast the two "no" votes.
Boyd said his vote wasn't personal. For him, it wasn't a question of if they were going to hire Finnell, but how.
"I thought it would have been better to bring him in as a consultant versus in the immediate as an auditor," Boyd said. "Simply, the reason why is I know he's coming in from out of town, and because the hire was going to be so heavy and so big for us, I thought bringing him in as a [consultant] and gradually easing him in to help us find someone more local, possibly a deputy auditor, or possibly even as an auditor."
Castle said she believes Finnell's background makes him a good fit for the role.
"But I do feel, from things that I've heard from different community members, that there were some other things that I personally believe would be important to our candidate for the position that Mr. Finnell did not showcase through the process," Castle said.
Finnell currently serves as the president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE).
Finnell's job now is to provide external and internal oversight of the Akron Police Department's policing practices by reviewing use-of-force incidents, citizen complaints alleging excessive force, unprofessional behavior and more.
The board picked Finnell to fill the position in January, but two members felt it necessary to introduce him to the public before appointing him.
Then, there was concern that he couldn't be appointed until the board's rules were in place, which were accepted by City Council on Feb. 26 once two provisions from a previous iteration were removed. The first is the power to conduct an investigation at the same time as the police department, and the second is the power to compel officers to comply with subpoenas.
Finnell also faced job performance questions pertaining to his time in similar roles in Oakland, California and Seattle, Washington − concerns that the board ultimately disregarded.
More: Akron's oversight board's choice for police auditor has faced job performance questions
When those questions came to light, board member Bob Gippin said what he'd seen didn't change his mind or concern him. Vice Chair Donzella Anuszkiewicz and board member Brandyn Costa agreed.
During a Feb. 21 meeting of the police board, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik's chief of strategy, Nanette Pitt, urged the board to consider hiring Finnell as a consultant rather than as auditor.
In an emailed statement to the Beacon Journal, Malik encouraged the board to consider Finnell's past job performance as outlined in a report from WKYC, writing, "The decision of whom to hire rests with the board; our administration will work constructively with the board and whoever is selected."
Boyd said his belief that Finnell would have initially been more suited to a consulting role had nothing to do with the administration's recommendation. He'd suggested bringing Finnell on as a consultant after the board interviewed him two and a half months ago.
The last piece required for the board to be fully staffed is a deputy auditor, which Boyd said he hopes to hire within Finnell's first 90-days.
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Police oversight board appoints Anthony Finnell as independent auditor
