Akron's new police chief added his voice to the chorus of community leaders and elected officials calling for a broader and more unified response to gun violence.
In his first public address to City Council, Steve Mylett joined his two deputy police chiefs and a captain in the uniform subdivision Monday on a virtual meeting to discuss the police department's ongoing effort to reduce gun violence.
Compared to last year, reports of shots fired in Akron are down for each of the past four months, Maj. Mike Caprez told Council. But the city could still end the year with a higher body count.
"This past weekend, the city witnessed its 38th homicide at the intersection of Kling and Wheeler," Mylett said, referencing the late-night shooting death of Maya Noelle McFetridge, 18, a University of Akron student who was among three people struck by bullets that flew into a crowd during a large party near the campus.
It's not the only murder case competing for the limited time and attention of officers who, on average, have been dealing with a homicide a week this year.
"There are two individuals, one from this past weekend and another one from a past incident, who are on life support right now," Mylett said, "and we do not know if that number will climb up to 40."
All but two of the 38 homicides involved guns, Mylett said of a "complicated" issue that demands "not only police response, but a community response." Akron is the place to make that happen, a hopeful chief said.
"It appears to me that there is widespread consensus and support to develop strategies wherever we can in a unified way to tackle this pandemic that's hitting this community," he said. "Last year was a very violent year in the city. This year is looking like we may surpass, god forbid, the numbers from last year."
Overtime, hotspots and gun confiscations
Mylett said officers are working "very, very hard" to take a record number of weapons from the streets and individuals who, because of their criminal records, shouldn't have them; 916 guns have been confiscated so far this year.
Responding to specific questions from Public Safety Committee Chair Donnie Kammer, Mylett said that about one in nine illegally possessed guns is the result of a minor traffic stop. Forty-four of the confiscated guns are "considered assault weapons" with the bottle-shaped ammo and a .223 or 5.56 mm caliber firearm.
And 20 individuals who possessed these firearms were younger than 18.
Every shot reported and recorded is analyzed. The department continues to work with the federal agents and attorneys to seek felony gun charges. Mylett said the department is considering "additional technology" to compliment what analysts already have on hand.
Capt. Dave Laughlin said the crime analysts provide useful data to patrol officers who target people and areas that pose the greatest threat of gun violence. Mapping of the shots is updated regularly to identify hotspots.
But the shots are sometimes all over the map.
"It would make it a bit easier if it was contained in one geographic area of the city. It is not," Mylett said. "People are possessing firearms widespread throughout the community, young people especially."
The department recently started offering six to 10 overtime shifts from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. "Dealing with a staffing issue," the chief said commanders have had to make "last-minute pleas for officers to fill the vacancies. And it's not because they don't want to," he said. "They just need that break from work to recharge their engines. The last thing we want are fatigued officers out in the community."
Admitting that he's still learning the city, the chief looked to a dry-erase board in his office then back to the Zoom video conference with Council and noted that Copley Road, Lover's Lane and Lane Field are among the top hotspots.
The East Exchange Street corridor is another. An overtime detail patrolling that area broke up a party and made a traffic stop before spotting the scene of the deadly Sunday morning shooting, even before a 911 dispatcher could send the officers the location.
"We are moving our resources into the areas where we think gun violence is most prevalent," the chief said.
Solutions explored
Council is currently discussing the possibility of deploying professionals trained in mental health and dispute resolution to take lower priority calls of an overstretched police force.
Councilwoman Linda Omobien asked about the possibility of deputizing people with the respect and knowledge of the community to disrupt violence.
"I don't know the answer to that question," Mylett responded. "I would turn to our legal team to see if that's possible." Any individual who actively assists police in securing neighborhoods would have to be chosen "very carefully," he added.
"First and foremost," the chief said, "the community has to reject this behavior. We cannot accept it. We have to, again, in a united way, say this is not who we are and this is not the community we want to raise our families in — where we lose 38 people to gun violence."
Step two is "cooperating wherever we can." Along with tips on active criminal investigations, sharing information on illegal firearm possession could prevent the next tragedy. Mylett also recommended working with schools and houses of worship to broadcast that anti-violence message and equipping parents with conflict resolution skills.
Councilman Shammas Malik thanked Mylett, who spoke afterward to media, for his "open, direct and empathetic" approach to tackling gun violence.
Councilman Russ Neal underscored the need to "embrace and empower" the community, offering to connect the chief with men in his neighborhood. "And you're right," Neal said. "At this table needs to be the school system ... a lot of the negative energy out in the community is in that middle/high school age group."
"Thank you for your comments, sir," Mylett replied. "Community engagement, to me, is always the key to developing a shared vision and working through problems together. And if you invite me to the table, and you have, I will be at the table, I promise you, 100 percent."
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