Black elected officials ask Akron mayor to pause police chief search, widen eligibility

The Black Elected Officials of Summit County are calling for a pause to the search for a new Akron police chief and deputy chief, urging the city to pursue a path that considers a more diverse pool of candidates.

The letter released Wednesday asks Akron Mayor Shammas Malik to "remove the structural practices that have made it impossible for Black and other underrepresented officers to move up through the ranks."

The group, which is led by at-large Akron City Councilwoman Linda Omobien, is calling for the administration to seek an opinion from the Ohio attorney general's office on the legality of hiring an outside candidate. Malik has said the city can't hire from outside because of a state law prohibiting external candidates from filling vacancies above entry-level positions in city safety forces.

If the attorney general's office determines that the city in fact can't hire outside candidates, the group has called for a pause on the hiring of a new police chief until a charter amendment superseding the state law can be passed.

If multiple deputy chiefs apply, no captains can be considered — removing the opportunity to hire a minority candidate into the chief role.

The group's letter says the inability to consider internal minority candidates for promotion to top administrative roles works against the city's effort to attract minority recruits to the department — an effort that has been led by two Black officers.

"We only have one (1) Black officer who is at the rank of Captain (the closest rank to Chief of Police or Deputy Police Chief), one (1) Black Lieutenant, and nine (9) Sergeants out of the 400+ department. This means only 11% of the current department’s leadership is Black. With the barriers in place, it would take 20-30 years for the department’s top leadership to become truly diverse. This calls for an immediate course correction," the letter says.

Responding to the Beacon Journal's request for comment, the Malik administration said via email, "We received the formal letter this morning and are currently reviewing it. We thank the Black Elected Officials of Summit County for sharing their thoughts and will respond to their letter once we’ve had a chance to fully review."

In early March, Malik announced that Akron wouldn't continue pursuing outside candidates for police chief because of the administration's interpretation of the rules guiding the appointment process.

"Our city charter could trump that state law," Malik said, "however, our city charter states that promotions should occur internally 'whenever practicable.'"

A public official who hires in violation of the rule can be removed from office as a consequence, Malik said.

Former Akron Police Chief Steve Mylett retired effective Jan. 1 after two turbulent years in the role. Deputy Chief Brian Harding is serving as acting police chief while the search for Mylett's permanent replacement continues.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Black elected officials call for pause on Akron police chief search