New law gives Akron police seven days to post use-of-force footage online

The Akron City Council on Monday passed a new law that will require police officers to post footage of “deadly force” incidents online for the public to view within seven days of the action occurring.

As the Akron Beacon Journal reports, the bill passed in a unanimous vote. It was sponsored by Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, council president Margo Sommerville and vice president Jeff Fusco.

Work on the new law first began last spring when the Akron Charter Review Commission, appointed by the mayor, recommended that the “prompt release” of police footage be put up for a vote in a November ballot. The Beacon Journal reports that 89 percent of Akron voters voted in favor of the new rule.

The new law also allows citizens to file a petition for the footage to be released if they believe the police department has failed to post deadly force footage, which the Beacon Journal notes is similar to how public records requests are made.

“This ordinance is the result of more than a year of community engagement, research, and preparation,” Horrigan said on Tuesday.

“Akron is now a leader among peer cities across the country when it comes to public accountability in police use of force cases,” Horrigan added. “This ordinance demonstrates our commitment to being open, transparent and — importantly — consistent.”

The Beacon Journal notes that the release of body camera footage from the city’s police department has at times been a long process, reporting that it has waited 14 days for footage of the most recent officer-involved shooting.

The passing of this new law comes days after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) issued executive actions designed to increase transparency and accountability in police practices. The actions will change Minnesota’s policy on viewing body camera footage, allowing the families of a person killed by police officers to view the footage within five days.