Akron鈥檚 Citizens鈥� Police Oversight board wanted to spend nearly $1 million this year to expand its capabilities and improve policy recommendations for the police department.
But when Mayor Shammas Malik introduced the city-wide operating budget Monday, that number was cut down to $544,352.
Board members did not see the new number until then, Board Chair Kemp Boyd said.
鈥淭he challenge, as we sit here today, is that we didn鈥檛 see a number until yesterday,鈥� Boyd told city council members during a budget hearing Tuesday. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure that I presented the number that we voted on as a board, because there was no time to call a meeting on a revised budget.鈥�
The initial $965,871 budget proposal, which the board passed unanimously Jan. 29, was more than double last year鈥檚 budget of $414,000. Proposed new staff positions accounted for more than half of the increase, said police auditor Anthony Finnell.
Finnell wanted to hire a part-time data analyst to help with reviewing body camera footage, in addition to an executive assistant and a part-time intern, he said.
The board also wanted to spend more than $100,000 to purchase new case management software that would help the auditor鈥檚 office more efficiently log police reports and use-of-force incidents and $50,000 to hire independent legal counsel, Finnell said.
Instead, city officials moved the $100,000 software purchase into the mayor鈥檚 office budget because it is a one-time expenditure, said Finance Director Steve Fricker. They moved $50,000 for legal counsel into the law department鈥檚 budget.
The review board still wants an additional $35,000 to hire a part-time data analyst to help the police auditor鈥檚 office, which handles investigations into police misconduct and use-of-force incidents, Costa said. The analyst would help review body camera footage and police reports, Finnell added.
The city finance department, however, wants to wait, Fricker said.
鈥淚 want us to wait until that software is actually in place until we look at hiring additional staff,鈥� Fricker said. 鈥淚 think that our IT staff can help with the development of some of those things.鈥�
Costa appreciates the suggestion but added a dedicated analyst to the auditor鈥檚 office is still preferred, he said.
鈥淚 think that's a little different than having a dedicated individual who doesn't have demands on their times and who, that we can steer and direct the work to the extent that we would like,鈥� Costa said.
Council members debated the budget request Tuesday during the first day of its operating budget hearings.
Some council members expressed concerns about increasing the board鈥檚 budget because it has limited powers. The board provides recommendations about policy changes but does not have disciplinary authority.
鈥淚t sounds like it鈥檚 time to have a conversation to either go back to the voters with a revised plan or talk to this council about potentially helping to give the oversight board some teeth,鈥� Ward 4 Councilmember Jan Davis said.
Costa acknowledged the limited powers but said the data analyst will help with recommendations.
鈥淚f we've got, you know, robust data systems, then we can better identify trends,鈥� Costa said. 鈥淭hese are things that will help us to come up with policy recommendations to council, which is very much all that we can do, to help advance the work.鈥�
Councilmember Linda Omobien wants council to find $35,000 in the budget to fund the data analyst position. Other council members said they will consider adding the additional funds but will have to make tough choices as they hear proposals from other city departments this week.
鈥淚 know you鈥檝e got to do your work, but I鈥檓 not so sure that鈥檚 what the voters signed up for,鈥� Lombardo said.
Council must pass the operating budget by the end of March.
