Akron Reporter

Today, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik announced the City of Akron is accepting applications for the next Police Chief of the Akron Police Department (APD). Additionally, by March 1, all on duty Akron police officers will wear their department issued name badges. The department had temporarily allowed officers to remove name badges due to concerns for officers’ safety in July of 2022 following the officer involved shooting of Jayland Walker.

“The decision to reinstate the use of name badges for our officers was made by former Chief Mylett and is supported by my administration and the current Akron Police Department leadership,” said Mayor Malik. “This is an important move to grow trust and transparency between our residents and the police department who serves them. The safety of our officers and our community is of the utmost importance, and we will continue to support our employees while also taking steps to improve engagement between APD and Akron citizens. I thank former Chief Mylett, current Acting Chief Harding, and all of our Akron Police Department officers for their service to this city.”

Last month, Chief Steve Mylett retired after 35 years of dedicated public service, with his final 2 years of service in the City of Akron. The city chose Ralph Andersen & Associates, a nationwide executive job search and consulting company, to lead the efforts on a search for Chief Mylett’s replacement. Before opening applications, the city issued surveys to the community and to Akron Police Department employees to gather feedback on what they would like to see from the next Chief. You can access the community survey in English, Nepali (नेपाली मा), Spanish (Español), and Arabic (بالعربية). You can also fill out a hard copy at any of the community centers.

The city also hosted the first of a series of town halls for the police chief search on Thurs. Jan. 11 at Garfield CLC. The event was attended by over 80 individuals and was livestreamed to an even wider audience. The city plans to host two additional town halls to gather feedback once the top candidates have been identified.

The city has published a recruitment brochure that includes an official job description, highlights about the greater Akron community, and an application submittal process in order to attract and inform those interested in being the next Akron Police Chief. Candidates may apply here.

The city’s ideal candidate will:

• Have demonstrated the ability to hold others accountable to values characterized by a commitment to integrity, honesty, transparency, humility, proactivity, innovation, equity, compassion, service excellence, and responsive leadership;
• Have extensive knowledge of complex urban environments and a demonstrated commitment to equitably serving, recruiting minority candidates, and working with all spectrums of multi-racial, multi-cultural, multireligious, and socioeconomically diverse communities;
• Exhibit outstanding communication skills; be hands-on, open, and receptive to working with people to create and sustain an environment of trust and respect;
• Possess the ability to be politically and technologically savvy, and have the ability to receive constructive criticism;
• Demonstrate the ability to make decisions based on facts and merit;
• Display a demonstrated commitment to community-oriented policing and problem solving, staff development, and morale-building to set a positive tone within the Department;
• Possess a passion for public service and public safety as well as positive futures for all Akron residents; and
• Exhibit exceptional leadership and people skills; the ability to work with and establish relationships with a wide range of stakeholder groups, strategic partners, elected officials, colleagues, and the media.

"The ideal candidate for the next Chief of Police will be capable of inspiring trust and confidence in all of Akron's diverse communities, as well as earning the respect and confidence of both sworn and civilian employees," said Mayor Malik. "We are looking for someone who is well-versed in community-oriented policing and has a proven reputation for being accessible and transparent while building partnerships between the department and the community to address crime and quality of life challenges. I look forward to reviewing the survey feedback we receive from both our residents and our Akron Police employees to better inform our search process."

The city is looking for a candidate with a minimum of ten years of command or management experience in law enforcement. Candidates should have experience working with police unions, developing and utilizing key performance indicators, and building diverse workforces. Graduation from a police leadership development program is desired, with a Bachelor’s degree being preferred and a Master’s degree a plus. The selected candidate will be required to successfully complete all Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy certification requirements within the first year of employment. Although not required, it is highly desired that upon hire, the new Chief of Police reside within the corporate limits of the City of Akron. Applications are open to both internal and external candidates.

Interested candidates may apply by sending their resume, cover letter, salary history, and six professional references to Ralph Andersen & Associates via apply@ralphandersen.com. 

Candidates are requested to submit materials prior to Monday, March 4, 2024. Candidates may be asked to complete a series of written responses for further evaluation and possible presentation and submit a summary of career accomplishments as part of the selection process.

Original source can be found here.