City of Akron and Akron Police Department Announce New Public Order Policy to Safeguard First Amendment Rights and Public Safety

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik and Akron Police Chief Brian Harding have announced a new Public Order Policy for the Akron Police Department which will take effect immediately. The policy sets clear guidelines for how officers manage demonstrations and large gatherings and focuses on protecting the constitutional rights of Akron citizens, prioritizing de‑escalation and dialogue, and preserving public safety. View the full policy here.  

“Akron is at its best when we listen to each other, protect each other, and make space for every voice,” said Mayor Malik. “This policy reflects our commitment to peaceful expression, thoughtful dialogue, and a public safety approach built on trust and partnership with our community.” 

“The heart of this policy is simple: support peaceful expression and address unlawful acts with restraint, precision, and transparency,” said Akron Police Chief Brian Harding. “We will continue working with event organizers, community leaders, and residents so peaceful assemblies are supported and unlawful acts are addressed responsibly.” 

Key features of the policy include: 

• Constitutional rights and de-escalation:Officers begin with monitoring, communication, and encouraging crowd self-regulation to facilitate lawful protest activity. 

• Bias free policing:APD prohibits discriminatory practices and does not target individuals based on political activity or protected speech. 

• Nationally recognized command standards:APD uses the Incident Command System (ICS), written Incident Action Plans (IAPs), and coordinated command posts during major events. 

• Clear limits on force: 

  • Mass arrests avoided unless necessary due to immediate threats to safety.

  • Less lethal impact munitions may only be used to prevent immediate harm to people or dangerous property destruction, may only be used against specific individuals engaged in the dangerous behavior, and after verbal warnings when feasible. In addition, less-lethal impact munitions cannot be targeted at the head/neck/chest/groin/spine unless deadly force is authorized.

  • OC spray is not used against passive resistance or indiscriminately to disperse a crowd.

  • CS (tear gas) is used only under Incident Commander authorization, with advance warnings and clear exit routes, when serious harm is imminent and lesser options are ineffective.

  • Water cannons are not used as a force option. These have never been in use by the department and will not be used in the future.

• Transparency measures:Officer identification must be visible, and body-worn cameras are used in accordance with policy (P2023031). APD will conduct After-Action Reviews to capture lessons learned and improve future responses. 

• Media and legal observer protections:Journalists and legal observers are not subject to arrest unless they physically obstruct lawful police action.  This is consistent with existing practice and law but provides more explicit guidance to officers and to the public. It also clarifies exceptions to curfew and dispersal orders for journalists and legal observers.  

Background 

As a candidate, Mayor Malik promised to pursue tangible policy updates to improve policing in the City of Akron. Consistent with those promises, Mayor Malik authorized a settlement to litigation brought by the Akron Bail Fund in connection with an incident that occurred in 2023. As part of the agreement the City agreed to update and implement policies surrounding crowd management/public order. Consistent with Mayor Malik and APD’s commitments to engagement and transparency, the city hosted a community forum prior to policy language being drafted and shared a draft policy for additional feedback and input once it was created. The city has taken the last year to engage residents on this new policy, gather opinions, and adjust to reach this final version of the policy shared today.   

Coalition Recommendations 

As part of the public comment period, a coalition of community organizations requested several changes to the original draft. In consultation with Spencer Fomby of Law Enforcement Tactical Consultants, the City incorporated many of those recommendations into the updated public order policy to better align with national best practices, particularly where changes enhanced clarity, consistency, and transparency while remaining consistent with legal standards and operational needs. 

As a result, key definitions were reviewed and refined to better align with existing Akron Police Department policy language. This includes updates to terms such as “active resistance” and “passive resistance,” providing clearer guidance for officers in the field. The City also adopted more neutral and inclusive language, replacing terminology like “civil disorder” with “public order events,” and added clarifying language to definitions such as chemical munitions to improve understanding without altering their scope. 

In addition, the City strengthened policy language in key areas related to constitutional protections and accountability. This includes making content neutrality in speech enforcement mandatory by changing “should” to “shall,” reinforcing First Amendment protections. The policy also incorporates enhanced documentation and transparency measures, such as expanding After-Action Review requirements to include detailed reporting on use of force, munitions, personnel, and related costs. Additionally, the City added language to ensure clearer communication during crowd dispersal, including direction of travel and maintained egress routes, and reinforced expectations that assisting agencies follow the same standards as Akron Police when operating under its command. Collectively, these accepted recommendations reflect a commitment to clearer policy, transparency, and the protection of constitutional rights while maintaining effective public safety operations. 

The Akron Police Department continues to place added emphasis on the role of community engagement in public safety. In addition to the updated public order policy, in late 2024, Akron Police started a dialogue team to assist with engaging citizens in the event of a large gathering. Officers have been trained for this, and it has been put into use already. Additionally, APD, under the direction of Mayor Malik and Chief Harding, created a fourth subdivision in 2025 focused on Community Engagement and Crime Prevention. Last year, the Community Engagement team and Community Relations Unit participated in a total of 684 events throughout the city.