AKRON, Ohio — There’s a new change to Akron Police’s Vehicle Pursuit Procedure, Which the department hopes will rebuild trust in the community.
“This is kind of a step in that direction,” said Acting Police Chief Brian Harding. “The big change for us is not chasing for just equipment violations.”
Harding and Captain Michael Miller announced the new policy change during the Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board Meeting on Wednesday.
They said the revision bans Akron Police officers from engaging in a pursuit solely for or limited to just an equipment violation that includes instances like when a driver has a cracked windshield or a missing headlight.
“We embrace this change. We think that it’s a benefit to everyone including our citizens, our police officers,” said Miller.
Last year, Harding said the department received 189 calls for pursuits and canceled more than 48% of them.
“We get our authority from the community that we serve, and it’s important that they know that we’re listening. I think it’s important that we share when we make these changes,” said Harding.
But Harding told News 5 there are some possible exceptions to this ban.
“Where that could change could be if it’s equipment, maybe what you initially see as a taillight but then you relearn the plate and realize it’s a stolen vehicle,” said Harding.
Some, like Demetrius Travis, feel the ban, which went into effect in mid-April, is in response to the case of his cousin, Jayland Walker, who died after being shot by eight Akron Police officers when two officers initially tried to stop walker for equipment and moving violations.
“Immediately, I thought unfortunately, we had to lose a fam member for this to happen but at the end of the day that’s how change happens,” said Demetrius Travis, Jayland Walker’s cousin.
But Harding said this modification is part of the department's yearly policies and procedures review.
News 5’s Remi Murrey asked: “Did the Jayland Walker situation have any influence on this?”
The chief responded and said, “it did not.”
Still Travis calls for things to change with how policing is done.
“There’s has to be more, has to be more. Better policing techniques, better sensitivity training,” said Travis.
Harding tells News 5 that the department is open to having further discussions about other policies in the future.
