On January 5th, during our Capital Budget hearings, City Council was first made aware of the Mayor’s proposal to purchase standardized long guns (rifles) for police officers. This was quite a surprise for all of us on council, as we had no idea this was coming down the pike. It’s listed under the $255,000 Police Gear and Equipment Replacement line item in the budget. Now all of this money is not slated for long guns, but it appears to be the start of a new program.
I didn’t know that Akron Officers could use their own firearms until the tragic shooting of Jazmir Tucker. Since then, I’ve spoken with both Officers and the other Council Members as to why they bring their own weapons. In many instances, Akron Police face illegally modified handguns, and automatic rifles (see attached photo)when responding to shots fired calls. I’ve seen shells from these automatic weapons on the ground at shooting scenes myself, and I can understand the need for standardized, department issued rifles.
The problem is that this has now become a political issue, with some on Council falsely claiming this proposal is arming our officers with machine guns, sniper rifles and more. I do know we need to equip our officers with the tools they need to keep us ( and them) safe. Adding standardized, department issued rifles that they are trained in using seems more prudent than Officers bringing a variety of their own weapons. While I’m not 100% committed to this proposal, I plan to learn more before the program comes to a vote on Council floor and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the plan.