Interfaith leaders stand in solidarity for legislation on national police reform

Akron’s interfaith community and leaders stood together Thursday at Antioch Baptist Church to voice support for legislation on national police reform. 

On Monday,  Akron City Council passed a resolution 10-3 in support of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in March. Now, a multifaith coalition wants to see the Senate approve the legislation.

“Every profession needs to have people looking over their shoulder, whether you’re a lawyer, a doctor, a pharmacist or police officer,” said Marty Belsky, a University of Akron law professor and former prosecutor who spoke at the a news conference at the church.

“You cannot have people regulate themselves. There has to be some entity on the outside take a look at what’s allowable and not allowable behavior,” he said.

The resolution would ban chokeholds, eliminate no-knock warrants, eliminate qualified immunity — a legal doctrine which limits the public’s ability to sue police officers following misconduct — and require additional police training, among other reforms that supporters say strengthen transparency and accountability in policing.

The resolution, which had been blocked the week prior by some council members, was reintroduced by Ward 5 Councilwoman Tara Samples. It passed following support from co-sponsors Ward 4 Councilman Russ Neal, Ward 8 Councilman Shammas Malik, At-Large Councilwoman Linda Omobien. Ward 1 Councilman Rich Swirsky, who has been absent from council meetings due to a cancer battle, attended Monday’s meeting to cast his vote in support of the resolution.

“Resolutions show our state officials that we are paying attention and that we want them to do what’s right,” Samples said at the church. She urged municipalities and counties throughout Ohio, including Summit, to also voice support for the George Floyd Act. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, had issued a letter urging Akron City Council to pass its resolution.  

“When we come together, this act can help us to say no to choke holds that have killed our Black brothers and sisters, George Floyd, Eric Garner, Shereese Francis and many others,” said the Rev. Joyce Penfield, an Episcopal priest. 

“We can say no to racial profiling that led to the killing of Alton Sterling, Ahmaud Arbery, Ezell Ford, Trayvon Martin… We can say no to no-knock warrants that led to the death of Breonna Taylor and others whose names we don’t yet know. We can say no to race-based excessive use of force, whether it leads to death or not,” Penfield added. 

The resolution drew written and verbal support from representatives of the Akron Area Interfaith Council, the Islamic Society of Akron and Kent, Women’s Interfaith Spiritual Heritage, Akron Interfaith Immigration Advocates and Summit County residents. 

The Rev. Greg Harrison, a retired Akron police officer and pastor at Antioch Baptist Church, said the resolution should not be construed as an anti-police measure.

“To have police reform does not make you anti-police. To ask for police reform supports good policing and it helps root out bad policing,” he said. 

Nation of Islam minister Stephen Muhammad of Muhammad’s Mosque 37 in Akron, stressed the importance of pressuring elected officials to take action on the resolution following a year of historic civil rights protests and ongoing police killings.

“If we don’t get this right, now, in this small window of opportunity that is closing with each act of misconduct, of which there have been more than 180 since the killing of George Floyd, the window will close and create a permanent breach of trust here in the city of Akron and across this country,” Muhammad said.

“Let us make the effort to do the right thing,” he said. 

Seyma Bayram is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Learn more at reportforamerica.org. Contact her at sbayram@gannett.com or 330-996-3327 or on Twitter @SeymaBayram0.