Akron police needs leadership that values public input | The Rev. Ray E. Greene
Chief Steve Mylett’s glowing review of the Akron Police Department sure didn’t age well.
Less than a week later, trouble brewed in paradise after Akron police officers were caught on video engaged in the complete opposite representation of the community-do-gooding and lovin’ police officers that we all know.
Two officers beat Jordan D. Ely Sr. bloody with closed fists within seconds of making contact with him. At the same time, Ely attempted to make officers aware of a possible medical and mental health emergency he was experiencing. These stand-up first responders weren’t “being corrupt, hunting down people breaking their faces and dumping them” to loosely quote the chief himself. And now, they may get sued.
In his now stale comments, Mylett painted a portrait of the community who responded to the death of Jayland Walker as liars. He dismisses our positions as community leaders seeking justice, suggesting instead that we spread half-truths and gossip about the Akron Police Department, shedding them in a false light, and bolstering “false narratives.”
Eager to make a point, he included a couple of unfortunate stories in a thinly veiled attempt to delegitimize the years of abuse and complaints made against officers by Akron residents. Despite the truth being that working as a law enforcement officer is safer than being a garbage man, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mylett wants you to believe that “those lies” and unfair narratives have an outsized impact on officer safety. He claims some officers routinely and allegedly fear for their lives and are too afraid to even identify themselves, having forgone name badges since the start of the political unrest stemming for Jayland’s case.
Above all else, facts, video especially, do an excellent job of addressing false narratives. With less appeal and zeal as being “beaten in a warehouse,” as described by Mylett, the footage of Akron police officers violently beating Ely in a parking lot isn’t the hyperbolic statement the chief relayed. Instead, the community should pay considerable attention to cops and parking lots and ignore the rhetoric of APD’s top brass.
People in power often love to shift the blame and shirk responsibility. Mylett demonstrates a willingness to blame the community for much of the negative thoughts and feelings about the police. In my opinion, he fails to provide any tangible solutions in response to the complaints lodged against his rank and file. His attempt at correcting the “false police narratives” spectacularly fails, exposed by the very thing that allowed organizers to craft our narratives to begin with, the life experiences and stories of those directly impacted by police violence.
We have no more faith in Chief Mylett to lead effectively. Akron deserves a department and leadership that values the input of its citizens and boldly tackles complex and sometimes tense issues as they arise. Only when the Akron Police Department acknowledges harm honestly, will its culture be less stagnant, struggle less to grow, and will it remedy the failure to execute its core mission.
The Rev. Ray E. Greene is executive director of the Freedom BLOC in Akron.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Opinion | Akron police needs leadership that values public input
