CLEVELAND — Acting Akron Police Chief Brian Harding has officially been named as the city's next chief of police, Mayor Shammas Malik announced Friday.
Harding, who has been acting chief of the police department since January following the departure of previous chief Steve Mylett, was named the city's final candidate for the police chief post back in April.
“I am honored to serve the Akron community, and the officers and civilian staff of the Akron Police Department as the next Chief of Police," Harding said in a news release. "This is a responsibility I take very seriously, and I plan to work closely with our team and our community as we take strides together to create the city we all want.”
Harding is a University of Akron graduate who has been a member of the city's police department since 1995. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in November 2021. He was one of two finalists interviewed for the job after Malik's administration, initially intending to conduct a nationwide search, discovered that state and local laws dictate the city must fill management positions in its safety forces with internal candidates.
“I believe Chief Harding’s experience, work ethic, integrity, and heart for public service make him the right person to lead the Akron Police Department,” Malik said. “He will be a key partner in implementing our administration’s vision for public safety, including strengthening APD’s efforts to combat violence, building trust and accountability, refocusing on community policing, and prioritizing recruitment and retention of a strong, effective, and diverse workforce."
Harding will be sworn in at an official ceremony during the week of May 27, the city said.
Harding was introduced to community members as a finalist for the job at a series of town halls in April, where residents — specifically pointing to the police shootings of Jayland Walker in 2022 and 15-year-old Tavion Williams earlier this year — voiced claims of racism within in the department and decried what they see as a lack of diversity.
"I completely hear what they're saying, and I agree that we need to continue to be very purposeful and be as inclusive as we can as we move forward," Harding said following an April 24 town hall.
"People want policing, and they want fair, just, and equitable policing," Harding added. "And that's what needs to be our goal."
Malik and Harding will share "important next steps in the implementation of the administration's public safety priorities, as well as responses to community feedback received during the search process" in the coming weeks, Malik's office said.