Police board looks for seat at bargaining table with proposed changes to FOP contract

For months, the Akron Citizen's Police Oversight Board has argued that it should have a seat at the table during the upcoming negotiations between the Akron Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and the city.

During the board's Wednesday meeting, a resolution was introduced outlining proposed changes to the FOP's current contract with the city, which expires Dec. 31.

Among the proposed changes includes giving the police board and the independent auditor the power to conduct investigations and make reports and recommendations how and when they wish, as long as they adhere to the contract.

Other proposed changes include:

• Amending the final step of the grievance and arbitration process to prevent the union from appealing discipline that stems from a complaint made by a member of the public.
• Empowering the chief of police to add more exempt positions— captains, lieutenants and sergeants — in the patrol division and filling those positions with bargaining unit members holding the appropriate rank for the position.
• Barring "officers and their representatives" from viewing or accessing body-worn camera or dashcam recordings before making a statement.
• Clarifying that evidence from the complaining party should be weighed equally with evidence from a bargaining member "without any burden of proof being assigned to either the complaining party or the bargaining unit member."
• Prohibiting discrimination against an officer by the administration or the FOP on the basis of national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, familial status or gender.
• Adding a clause stipulating that the city take "reasonable" steps to notify all involved officers and the FOP if the city decides to release footage and information about officers.

The resolution also proposes eliminating the following language from the current contract:

• A provision prohibiting using oral and written discipline against an officer in "future disciplinary hearings or promotional consideration."
• A provision that grants anonymity to officers who are under investigation for rule violations and shields the disciplinary action taken until the officers are charged or cleared.
• A clause allowing involved officers and the FOP "to view the footage intended for release when released" to the public by the city.

Board member Bob Gippin — also the head of the board's Governance Subcommittee, where the resolution originated — said the proposal is the result of more than a year's worth of conversations and several recent weeks of "intensive work."

"We had direct input from the NAACP, from a citizens group that was very helpful," Gippin said.

The resolution recommends that the mayor pursues the board's proposed changes during the city's negotiations with the FOP. The board voted unanimously to table the resolution at Gippin's suggestion so people "can process it" and give input, he said.

Board member Brandyn Costa and Vice Chair Donzella Anuszkiewicz were absent from the meeting.

"If people have questions about it for me offline, I'd be happy to talk about it," Gippin said.

Board votes to extend offer to deputy auditor

After taking a brief executive session, the board reconvened to vote unanimously to offer the job of deputy auditor to Keysha Myers after falling short of the two-thirds majority needed to offer her the job during its July 10 meeting.

Newly appointed board member Crystal Jones abstained from the vote.

Anuszkiewicz was absent from the meeting because, Gippin said, Myers is her niece, and she couldn't in any way participate in the process. He added that he knew for certain Anuszkiewicz hadn't done anything to promote Myers' candidacy and that the board had a conversation with Myers about their relationship.

"I am quite comfortable, especially with Mrs. Myers' explanation, that her being Mrs. Anuszkiewicz's niece is completely irrelevant to this," Gippin said at the time.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Police board looks for seat at bargaining table with proposed changes to FOP contract