July 2026

Weekly Community Announcements​​​​​​

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Week 1

Mayor Malik Expands Akron Street Team with $600,000 Investment in Community Violence Intervention

City of Akron increases investment more than threefold following successful pilot with Minority Behavioral Health Group

 Mayor Malik is making one of his largest investments yet in community violence intervention, expanding the City of Akron Street Team from a successful pilot into a citywide violence prevention initiative. With the unanimous approval of Akron City Council last night, the funding will expand the City of Akron’s partnership with Minority Behavioral Health Group (MBHG), increasing from $185,000 during the 18-month pilot program to $600,000 over the next year. The administration introduced legislation to fund the program at $450,000, more than double the pilot program size, and a consensus of City Council advocated to increase funding further to $600,000 through an amendment co-sponsored by Mayor Malik, Council President Margo Sommerville, Council Vice President Brad McKitrick, Councilwoman Jan Davis, and Councilman Eric Garrett.  

During the pilot phase, the Street Team included one full-time and one part-time credible messenger – this second phase will include funding for up to four team members, using crime data and other indicators to identify neighborhoods where intervention can have the greatest impact.

Operated by Minority Behavioral Health Group, the program employs trained credible messengers, sometimes referred to as curbside counselors, with lived experience who build relationships with individuals at the highest risk of becoming involved in violence, helping mediate conflicts before they escalate while connecting residents to behavioral health services, employment opportunities, housing resources, and other supportive services. Minority Behavioral Health Group was selected to operate the Street Team because of its longstanding work providing trauma-informed behavioral health services and its deep relationships within Akron neighborhoods.

Mayor Malik said, "We’re approaching safety through an all-of-the-above approach – (1) law enforcement efforts, (2) community violence intervention, and (3) youth-focused prevention programs.  Following the lead of communities across the country, we know that adding programs like the Street Team and our hospital-based violence intervention program (PIVOT) to our existing enforcement work can save lives. That's why we're making one of the largest investments we've ever made in community violence intervention.”

Since launching as a pilot, Street Team members have worked directly with nearly 200 individuals, mediated dozens of potentially violent conflicts, and connected residents with critical resources and services. Early results suggest the approach is making a measurable impact. During the pilot period, shooting victimizations declined nearly 60% within the Street Team's focus area, compared to a 21% reduction citywide. Felonious assaults declined 30% in the focus area even as they increased 6% citywide. While no single initiative can account for changes in crime trends, these early results are encouraging and reinforce the City's decision to expand the program.

"The most effective public safety strategies don't rely on a single program or a single agency," said Chief of Public Safety Craig Morgan. "They bring together law enforcement, violence intervention, behavioral health, and community partnerships to address violence from every angle. Expanding the Street Team strengthens that coordinated approach and gives us another way to reach people before a crisis becomes a tragedy."

The Akron Street Team is a key component of Mayor Malik's Safer Together strategy, building on a series of community violence intervention initiatives launched by the Mayor, including the recently announced PIVOT Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program with Akron's two largest hospitals, Summa and Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and investments in youth violence prevention.

MBHG CEO Pastor Jeffrey Dennis said the expanded investment reflects the City's commitment to addressing violence through trusted community partnerships.

"Every day our curbside counselors meet people where they are, often during some of the most difficult moments of their lives," Dennis said. "By building trust, helping resolve conflicts, and connecting people with the support they need, we're creating pathways away from violence and toward stability. We're grateful for Mayor Malik's leadership and City Council's support as we expand this work to serve more neighborhoods across Akron."

Marcel McDaniel, who helped launch the Street Team pilot as its first credible messenger, will lead the program through its next phase of expansion as additional curbside counselors are hired and services are expanded citywide.

Mayor Malik said McDaniel's leadership reflects exactly what makes the Street Team model successful: "Marcel has earned the trust of people and neighborhoods because he leads with compassion, accountability, and lived experience. He knows that changing someone's life doesn't begin with a government program, it begins with showing up, earning trust, listening, and refusing to give up on people. As we expand this program across Akron, I can't think of anyone better to help build this team and mentor the next generation of credible messengers. His leadership represents exactly the kind of investment in people that makes our city stronger and safer."

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Water Trail Partners Announce New Cuyahoga River Safety Conditions Tool

Partners who manage the Cuyahoga River Water Trail announced today a new safety tool for river recreation. The Cuyahoga River Conditions Tool, or “CUYAC” (pronounced kayak), puts near real-time Cuyahoga River condition reports into the hands of visitors before they enter the water. The City of Akron developed the tool and has funded the first signs to be shared amongst the Cuyahoga River Water Trail partners. View the tool here. View a map of the locations here.  

CUYAC is a GIS map-based system that combines multiple sources of credible, frequently updated data on river and weather conditions for public access sections of the Cuyahoga River. The system shares a risk level by color.* 

• Teal – means lower risk conditions. Those accessing the river should still use caution and stay alert for hazards but conditions are generally favorable. 

• Yellow – means high risk conditions exist. The weather, low/high flow conditions, and/or temperatures are causing a heightened risk to those who access the river and caution should be exercised. 

• Orange – means extreme risk. The river conditions are hazardous, and it is best not to enter the waterway and to keep your distance from the bank. 

* Cuyahoga River Water Trail partners emphasize that the tool should not replace an assessment of risk based on an individual’s skill, experience, competence and comfort level with constantly changing conditions of the natural environment. Risk of injury or death remains inherent under all conditions. A personal flotation device is always recommended. In every scenario, users enter the river at their own risk. 

The system also indicates on the map where there are rapids, no paddle zones, low flow conditions and where public access points are “take out only”.  

The tool assesses data from the National Weather Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and participating local jurisdictions to provide a simplified, user-friendly initial risk assessment of accessing the waterway on an online map for each section of the Cuyahoga River. To access this information, visitors can scan the QR code on the new safety signs near river access points or visit bit.ly/CUYACmap. 

“On behalf of the Cuyahoga River Water Trail partners, we are excited to officially roll out this tool for the paddling and recreation season,” said Emily Collins, environmental services manager for the City of Akron. “We hope this technology will help prevent avoidable accidents by making safety information and current conditions easy to find and empowering visitors to safely navigate the water trail.”  

The first CUYAC signs are limited to six locations, but more are anticipated to be added throughout the length of the Cuyahoga River. CUYAC signs are installed at: 

1. Kinsman Road

2. White Oaks

3. Tony Sainato Memorial Canoe Launch

4. Brust Park

5. Northampton Point River Access

6. Valley View Area of Cascade Valley Metro Park 

Additional information about the Cuyahoga River Water Trail is available through the Cuyahoga River Water Trail partners at www.cuyahogariverwatertrail.org.  

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