Akron Police Keep Punching People In the Face

It's the Akron podcast for December 11 2023. Our website, Akron, podcast.com, Akron City Council has implemented new rules that go into effect January 3 2024. To restrict public commenting during meetings. Yeah, you know, the people that are voted in to be our representative kind of said, Yeah, we're, we're kind of had enough for you guys. In an eight to five vote, the council decided to move the meeting, start to 6:30pm. And shift the public comment period to the beginning. However, the most significant change is eliminating public comment to 10 speakers per meeting with individuals allowed to speak only once every 30 days. So if you feel like you're not being heard, and you want to raise your hand again, we'll see you next month, residents must fill out an online forum by 4pm on the day of the meeting, to request to speak, potentially concluding public comment within 30 minutes. And so what's interesting about this is a so let's say 12 people sign up to speak. Who picks the 10? Or is it first come, first serve, and we'll see you next month. Now. Previously, there were no restrictions on the number of speakers or the frequency, only requiring advanced sign up. The recent weeks had seen over two dozen speakers at council meetings, prompting the new limitations. Yeah, cuz like, there's too many speakers in here. The Council also implemented a ban on backpacks larger than 12 by six or six by 12. That I get banners, flags, posters, signs and noisemakers of any kind. Okay, that makes sense. It's a meaning. What I thought was really weird. And I still don't get this is there were pictures of people holding up signs about Palestine. And look, I've said this before. I think all wars bad. I'm not pro Israel and I'm not pro Palestine. I'm like, How about y'all just quit killing each other? The novel idea, but there was like a, a sign about Palestine. I'm like, What in the world does that have to do with Akron, Ohio? Right. Like if Akron passes a law, oh, well, the war's over, I just don't get that. People just love to complain and whatever. And while some of the the move positively for promoting efficiency, I see that others aren't so crazy about it, because it limits the you know, citizen participation. And so, of course, if you know, I love the fact that somebody is calling it fascist. Okay, it's it's a bad rule. That doesn't make, you know, Akron Council, bunch of fascists council president Margo Somerville, who proposed the legislation. So if you want to know who to blame for this, it's Margo. She did it to enhance meaning efficiency and professionalism. I get that stated that the changes addressed a quorum issues. I get that as well, and do not intend to limit community perspectives. The decision reflects an effort to balance the need for orderly proceedings with citizens right to express concerns. So I get the whole known noisemakers, no bags, no signs, but like limiting, like, Which part are people upset about limiting the public participation? Well, maybe not limit that part, but limit how, you know how their time the whole 30 day thing? I think that's a bad idea. I maybe have a limit to how long they can talk. So they can get to the point but to me, this just sounds like a bad idea. And the reason I say this, is I have reached out to to Akron council people and have never received a single, not even a form letter reply. So I can see were going to them in their meetings, maybe the only way you actually get heard. In other disturbing news, Akron policemen keep punching people in the face. Police were called for disorderly teens. So let's let's take one side of this, right? If you don't want to get punched in the face, let's just take it that most Akron police people are going to punch you in the face. So if you don't want to get punched in the face, I don't know behave is a novel idea. That doesn't mean what they did was right. Okay. We'll get to that in a second. I'm just saying. If you don't want the police in your neighborhood, punching you in the face behave. This happened at the 1200 block of Lawton Street. Now with that said, here's a guy Terrell Harris Malone was doing what he was told. They said Alright, everybody disperse He was walking away now he wasn't running away because they probably tapped you then he was walking away very slowly. He was he was explaining to them you can watch the video on the website. He has explains like, Hey, I'm walking away. And video shows that he had his hands up and multiple policemen tackled him to the ground. They jam his face into the ground, and they're punching him in the face like it's on video. This isn't like an opinion. And in general, when you look at that, they're like, wait, you know, it's like a it's like a joke. How many Akron policemen does it take to screw in a light bulb? Like how many Akron policemen does it take to tackle somebody now to arrest somebody? In one shot, you see him with his he's like, they're, they're basically putting his one arm behind his back. So is he fighting is he did not know his hand is still in the air showing that he's not. It's just so over the top. And so 19 News obtain the Akron police body camera, this incident and it shows that the 90 year old suspect leaving the scene and encouraging the rest of the group to leave as well. You know, the video does not specifically show cuz they apparently said well, he hit one of their arms. And that is not in the video. The video shows him with his hands up, you know, that's in the air. So the thing that gets me about this is right, we made that police review task force. Hey, this is what you are made to do. And so Akron if you want to show that you care about your citizens. Let's see what you put in place. Do something. Let's not let these guys keep going around punching people in the face. He was arrested back on October 27. And he faces charges of riot resisting arrest. I'm gonna love to see them prove resisting arrest with his video, obstructing official business which he wasn't he was walking away and criminal trespass. He is set to go to trial on February sixth. So we're going to be hearing that name Terrell Harris Malone. In the future hear his lawyer says they plan to file a civil suit against the Akron officers involved good because they're dickheads. There are other teens who were arrested during the incident. And Akron police are now investigating the use of force during the incident. Now that leads to another story because we've heard where Akron investigates it. Okay. So, the Akron Police Department has quietly updated its internal policies about police shootings, and now lists the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation as the default preferred agency instead of its own detectives to investigate after APD officers kill or seriously injure someone. So here's a question I get kill. seriously injured. Does that mean shoot what about punching in the face? Is that going to get an investigation when the APD has regularly called the Bureau of Criminal Investigation seeing unit to process scenes of the police shootings. Chief Steve Milot caught the ire of the police union in 2022. When asked the state agency to conduct the incredible investigation into Jaylen Walker's killing which we've talked about the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge number seven, well, they filed a grievance that allege bringing in an outside agency violated its collective bargaining contract with the city because that work it said should have gone to Akron police detectives. So the police chief got flack from the union. And this is sometimes where union gives themselves a bad name like there is wrong and there was right here. And they're like, hey, that should have gone that should have been internal, but maybe not in this case. The because of course the Bureau of Criminal Investigation did not lead to any charges against the eight police officers who fired 94 rounds and Jalen Walker, and they hit him 46 times. So you know when the new mayor gets in, I hope this new because this is exactly what it was designed for. Right when the police go a little too far. Then look, I wouldn't want to be a policeman I know they're still looking for policemen because that's a tough job. So I you know, I if I say I back the blue of course that makes me a probably a fascist racist, but you know, that's that's a tough job. We need police but we also need to quit punching people in the face when they got their hands up not resisting. In other local happy news, he said sarcastically some of your local schools may be closing. The school board proposed a new boundary lines for it's six clusters revealing a plan where every residential address in the city will have an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. That makes sense. Now, why are they doing this? Why? Because there's going to be some schools that are going to close what in 2004. We had 37,000 students. Fast forward to today you want to guess 20,000. So it's not half but it's close. The school enrollment is unbalanced at some schools like Harris Jackson is way overcrowded. And you got other schools that are under crowded, right? So the Essex Elementary and Firestone Park, they've planned to close those schools. So they're students who will be going to other buildings and there are many other moving parts affecting students, families and employees, this is not an easy thing to decide. The proposed changes would likely impact transportation, but would give parents of students in new schools open enrollment opportunities, and I'll have a link to the article out of the website, Akron podcast.com. About some happy news, the city of Akron is stepping up its efforts to make citizens mental health a priority on Monday City Council after they got done, you know, telling people to quit rattling things and throwing signs at them. They voted to approve an $85,000 contract with the Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Service Board, better known as the ADM to establish what they're calling Scout, or the Summit County outreach team. It is a first of its kind in Ohio. It's a three team member aboard a vehicle with access to 911 and 988 calls. The unit comprised of specially trained first responders will work to help de escalate those situations where there is a mental health crisis. Doug Smith, the chief clinician of the Summit County, ADM said, Let's go out before the crisis hits, you know, some crescendo, where there's really no alternative, but to take them sometimes by force to get treatment. So it's all about de escalation. Scout is expected to launch in the spring of 2024. For now, the team will work a day shift, but it plans to expand into a 24 hour service in the future. And speaking of mental health, since this is kind of the holiday season, the US suicide and crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988. There's also an online chat at 988 lifeline.org have a link to that out in the show notes and Akron podcast.com. I remember growing up we would go to my grandparents house, it was me my brother, my sister, my parents, and on the way home, if it was around the Christmas time, we would go around and look at Christmas lights. Well, there's a great website called the Northeast Ohio family fun site, and has put together a map showing Christmas light displays, in my opinion worth driving too. You can even click on the address and get a preview of the display. So if you're looking for something different to do, you know before the snow starts stacking up and driving becomes kind of a pain in the butt. You can pack the kids in the car and make a night of it. And it's really pretty cool. You can see like I saw there are a couple fairly close to my house, I might go check them out. And when you click on they have like a little picture of a Christmas light bulb. When you click on that you actually get a preview of the light display. So you can kind of go Yeah, no do we're definitely gonna go see that. Links are out at Akron podcast.com. You know, it's hard to put your parents into assisted living. You want to make sure they get the best care and personal attention. And well, the direction. This is true. The basically there are two nursing homes that have invested in you want to guess That's right. Robots. Yeah, robots are taking care of your parents. This is the Copley Health Center and the village of St. Edward's in Fairlawn and both received a personal robot to help the AIDS complete task and speed up certain processes. I guess there is a shortage of workers in that area. One of the first TAs for Eva, who is Eva Well, that's the Copley robot was helping a resident with a special celebration. It delivered a little cake and a little drink and a card. And apparently the recipient thought it was pretty cool. And I'm like, Yeah, okay, I get it. But what happens? It's going to be like self checkout. Pretty soon there's not going to be any humans in the healthcare industry and just a bunch of robots are going to be taken care of our parents. I don't know I'm not the jury's still out on this one for me. The other thing I mentioned going around and looking at Christmas lights, we used to go to downtown Akron there were two stores there was a pole skis and O'Neill's and they had these displays in the window while winter fest is going on in downtown Akron. And for those who remember the days of the windows of Polsky Xin O'Neill's, those displays are still around and they can be found opposite the ice rink, and it's in the basement near the elevators, so kind of go across the street there or go across from the ice rink. These incredible displays are free to enjoy and will be available until the start of the new years. So if you want to go back in time and go man, I remember those winter fest is happening down there's a lot of fun stuff down there, lock three check it out, enjoy your city before it gets to gold. Garfield High School got $100,000 From first energy to bolster student success at Garfield High School. Through its new First Energy powered charge program, which incentivizes good behavior and decision making at school. The program recognizes successful students systematically creating a positive academic culture while reducing disruptive classroom behaviors. I like to call that behaving and maybe paying attention. The first energy funds were used to purchase software that enables Garfield students to digitally manage their reward points and track balances, students can redeem accumulated points at the first Energy Power Charge school store to mouthful. For items like Snacks in School merchandise. Here's a novel idea. How about giving them some money? I'll take that here. Have some more candy. Yeah, sure. That'll work. That'll help them pay attention in school. Let's get them jacked up on candy. The program also integrates financial literacy for students that's great, allowing points to be saved for significant rewards, such as prom tickets now we're talking or other school events. How about pictures? Those are always ridiculously expensive. Sounds pretty cool. My question is, how can someone Garfield is this like a pilot program the the story didn't say that. But I was like, What's so special? I mean, congrats to Garfield, but like what about all the other schools? It sounds like an interesting program. So I'll keep my eye on this and see if it pops up in other schools.