AKRON, Ohio — There's a microscope hovering over the City of Akron's leadership following yet another high-profile police-involved shooting.
In the last two years, two young Black men, Jayland Walker and Jazmir Tucker, were killed by Akron Police.
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"This is one of the most fraught issues really all around the country and that's because it's an issue of life and death," City of Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said Thursday night.
Malik said a conversation about needing a comprehensive review of the city's use of force policy has been going on for the last six months.
To conduct such a study, Malik is proposing an ordinance that would allow the city to sign a contract with two outside firms: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and 21CP Solutions.
That ordinance is now up for a third reading at Akron's City Council meeting on January 15.
"We want to come in and really do this deep dive into use of force. Let's look at our policy compared to other community's best practices. Let's also look at our practices, our training, our culture, our police and community interactions. What can we be doing better? How can we make deadly incidents less likely?," Malik asked.
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If the ordinance is approved, the hiring of these two firms would cost Akron taxpayers somewhere between $650,000 and $750,000.
The money would be pulled from the city's $815 million General Fund.
To put it into perspective, the cost of hiring these two firms would be 0.080% of the city's main budget.
"I understand it is a significant amount of money, but if we're gonna tackle this really tough issue, let's bring in the best folks. Let's bring in the most experienced folks. Let's not try to do this on the cheap," Malik stated. "We have to make sure there's trust and legitimacy when it comes to our police."
According to Malik, the study is estimated to take five to six months.
When those results are finalized, Malik said it will be publicly released.
"We want every voice to be heard and then let's come together and and have a set of recommendations. That's the way that we're moving forward on this issue," he added.
Who are these outside firms?
21CP Solutions has a history in Ohio. It's a consulting firm.
The firm's website states that it helps cities and communities tackle the challenges of delivering safe, effective, just, and constitutional public safety services.
It also has a long list of cases the firm has worked on, including one in Cincinnati.
The City of Cincinnati hired 21CP Solutions for an independent assessment of the police response following the death of Kyle Plush in 2018.
16-year-old Plush was in the Seven Hills School parking lot when reaching for some tennis gear in the family minivan. A back seat flipped up and trapped him.
Plush called 911 twice — using voice activation since his arms were pinned. His second call went to voicemail.
Officers found the school, but not Plush.
Plush's father, Ron, discovered him an hour later in the van. Plush had already passed away from asphyxiation.
21CP Solutions was one of two independent firms the city hired. Its role was to focus on police response, policies, and procedures.
However, Plush's dad found the final report lacking.
"There's been improvements made but I just don't feel as though we know anymore than we did that day," Ron previously said in court. "I ask that we get the job done here and stop playing around. Please. Please do that for Kyle. Do that for our family."
The 21CP report found Cincinnati officers and dispatchers acted within reason during Plush's case, and the Hamilton County Prosecutor referred to the report when deciding not to file any charges.
The Plush family sued the city and walked away with a $6 million settlement and a plan to improve the 911 system.
21CP Solutions has also made its mark in Columbus. In 2019, it created a plan for the Columbus Police Department to reform technology, training, and more.
As for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP — its website says the law firm is leading in private equity, litigation, white-collar & regulatory defense, and restructuring.
One of the attorneys on their team is former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
Malik said both firms have worked together before.
"The combination of 21st century's policing and Paul, Weiss, we really thought that was something that was more robust than anything else we had seen," Malik said. "We want this to be something that lasts beyond my administration, lasts beyond my tenure."
The City of Akron has never done a "deep dive into use of force," according to Malik.
Isn't it time to break that cycle?
"You have to invest in that. I have budgeted over the past two years the highest level of police staffing in 20 years, so you know, sometimes folks say, 'Well, you're just overly scrutinizing police, right? We don't have to accept the zero-sum thing, right?' We can strive for effectiveness and accountability," Malik shared.
If the ordinance is passed, Malik is hopeful this will pave a better tomorrow for Akron and save the city from having to pay out more use-of-force settlements.
"This is a much better way to spend the money than to spend it in a court settlement right now," Malik said. "The system is not working for a lot of people."
