Meet the police oversight board's pick for police auditor at Feb. 14 town hall
Akron residents will have a chance to bounce questions off Anthony Finnell, the Citizens' Police Oversight Board's candidate for the position of police auditor.
On Thursday, the board announced announced that it is hosting a town hall 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 in the auditorium at Ellet Community Learning Center, 309 Woolf Ave.
The town hall will allow for a live question-and-answer session, and feature a survey that community members can use to provide feedback to the board.
“We are excited to engage with Akron residents on the police auditor search and give our community a chance to meet and question a candidate for the role,” said board chair Kemp Boyd. "We want to give everyone the opportunity to meet (Finnell), ask him questions and ask the board questions. Our community’s input will help us determine next steps for the role.”
What does the independent police auditor do?
The independent police auditor oversees the Office of Independent Police Auditor, which providers external and internal oversight and review of the Akron Police Department's policing practices, according to the job posting.
Duties include fielding and investigating complaints from the public about allegations of police misconduct and then reporting the findings and recommendations to the mayor and City Council.
The police auditor also reviews police use-of-force incidents and conducts audits of the Akron Police Department training, policies, procedures, and activities and makes recommendations as needed to the Citizens' Police Review Board to be communicated to the police chief or other city officials.
Who is Anthony Finnell?
Finnell previously worked as executive director of the Citizens’ Police Review Board in Oakland, California, and as the auditor for the Office of the Inspector General in Seattle, Washington.
Since 2016, Finnell has served on the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement's board of directors. He also currently serves as the organization's president.
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron community to get chance to meet police auditor finalist Feb. 14
