Safer Together

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY

Safety is the most basic building block of a strong community. Yet, in many neighborhoods in Akron, folks don’t feel safe. Our campaign is rooted in a comprehensive approach to public safety, in which we all work together to create a safer Akron.

BUILDING TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY

We can’t have safety without trust between the police and our community. From the murder of George Floyd, to the killing of Jayland Walker, and too many other tragedies we’ve seen, there is a deep need for policy and culture change in how our public systems (including policing) interact with Black residents. Shammas helped lead the charge for Issue 10 – an independent citizen’s advisory board approved by voters in November 2022, as one step toward building trust and strengthening accountability. Our Safer Together plan will make sure Issue 10 is thoughtfully implemented and will take further steps, like providing more funding for training, requiring body cams for officers on SWAT detail and off-duty jobs, and working with APD to review practices around traffic stops, police chases, and more.

ENSURING EFFECTIVENESS FOR APD

Our Akron police officers respond to roughly 250,000 calls for service each year and are stretched way too thin. Our Safer Together plan will make sure our APD has adequate staffing and resources by attracting and retaining officers with fair pay and by improving support programs for officers. We will not defund the police. We will also take action on the deteriorating police station building. Within six months of becoming mayor, Shammas will decide on a permanent path forward for the Harold K. Stubbs Justice Center – either fully renovating the building or selecting a new location.

INVESTING STRATEGICALLY IN YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION

A real strategy for creating safe neighborhoods requires investing resources in upstream issues that lead to violence. By the time a young person fires a gun at someone, they have walked too far down a tragic path. In 2018 and 2019, our community came together to create a Youth Violence Prevention Strategic Plan, but implementation has struggled. Our Safer Together plan will be based on working collaboratively with community organizations, neighborhood groups, and schools to make long-term, meaningful investments in youth recreation and arts, job training and career exploration programs, mentorship and peer outreach, and mental health supports, as well as reentry supports and other specific interventions for youth involved in violence.

COMMITTING FULLY TO COMMUNITY POLICING

For decades, Akron residents have asked for community policing strategies (like foot patrols and bike patrols) to engage with and get to know officers in a proactive way. This tested model, used throughout the country, has proven to help build trust and resolve neighborhood issues before they lead to crime. Right now in Akron, we place that responsibility on 12 Neighborhood Response Team officers. Our Safer Together plan will ensure that every one of our patrol officers has the bandwidth to devote some of their time to these proactive approaches. We also will pilot at least one police substation to support community policing efforts.

TESTING INNOVATIVE, COLLABORATIVE RESPONSE PROGRAMS

Often, we ask officers to respond to calls that do not require an armed police response. Our Safer Together plan will include developing a program in which mental health workers and social workers respond to low-risk, non-violent calls alongside officers, when it is safe and effective to do so. These programs, tested in places like Dayton and Denver, are proven to improve emergency response outcomes and free up valuable officer time. As Mayor, Shammas will take this step to improve emergency response outcomes and more effectively use our resources.

Join the conversation

What you see here is just the start. We want to spend the next few months talking about safety, getting your feedback, and releasing more details about how we’re going to transform these ideas into action. Your input will help inform the final detailed plans the campaign will release.

Ways to engage