AKRON, Ohio — Akron's mayor and its Citizens' Police Oversight Board on Wednesday reacted to a 3News Investigates report on the leading candidate for the city's independent police auditor.
3News Investigates uncovered new details on past job performance concerns surrounding Anthony Finnell, who in a similar role in Seattle was accused of not properly reviewing evidence before certifying investigations of police misconduct.
Akron's independent police auditor role and the Citizens' Police Oversight Board were created by voters who overwhelmingly passed Issue 10, a citizen-initiated referendum, following the police shooting death of Jayland Walker by city officers.
The 58-year-old Finnell has spent decades in law enforcement as a former police officer before shifting his career to the field of police accountability, and he currently, he serves as president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.
On Wednesday night at the regular meeting of the COPB, Finnell's backers doubled down on their support for him.
"The idea that we did not do our due diligence concerning Mr. Finnell is incorrect," Board Member Robert Gippen said.
"I've never in my life ever read a report so heavily skewed toward the negative," Board Member Donzella Anuszkiewicz added, referring to our investigative story.
3News Investigates obtained the confidential personnel report on Finnell that found he had "troubling patterns of very quick certifications," and that cases with lengthy investigative summaries, witness interviews, and sizable quantities of evidence were signed off by Finnell in as little as 15 minutes.
In at least one case, the probe found he didn't access any files at all before certifying the investigation as objective and fair. Finnell responded to WKYC by saying, "I examined independent video that showed me what I needed to see, so I didn't need to open body-worn [video] at that time."
"I'm looking to see whether the allegations are addressed, not re-investigate the investigation," he further stated.
However, the independent investigator's scathing conclusion on Finnell's job performance declared, "We can think of no circumstances where a complaint about an officer's use of force (or any serious misconduct allegation) could be resolved with such limited review."
After our story aired, a spokesperson for Mayor Shammas Malik addressed the Board and communicated his suggestion for a lesser role for Finnell.
"The Mayor commented to me on Mr. Finnell's many strengths and the insights that he brings to this work," Nanette Pitt, Malik's chief of strategy, said. "However, Mayor Malik would like to urge your consideration of a consulting relationship with Mr. Finnell."
In a statement to 3News, Malik said:
"I have had a chance to view the WKYC coverage and this is a great example of why a public and transparent process is so important. The concerns raised are valid and worth the Citizens' Police Oversight Board's careful consideration as a part of the hiring process. I look forward to hearing more from the Board once they have had time to study all of the relevant records. Ultimately, the members of the Board will decide who the right candidate is to serve as Akron's Independent Police Auditor."
The COPB is expected to decide on whether to extend a contract offer to Finnell within the next couple of weeks.