Greater Stark County Urban League calls for a 'reimagined' Canton City Police Department
The Greater Stark County Urban League is calling for a “reimagined” Canton City Police Department.
Thomas West, president and CEO of the Greater Stark County Urban League, said a Canton police officer's use of a police dog to bite a city resident who already was lying face down with his arms crossed behind his back demonstrates a need for changes within the department. In a June 3 letter to city leaders, West wrote the reimagined department would be where “integrity and respect for fellow citizens and our city are paramount.”
Separately, the Urban League and the Stark County NAACP also are working together to create the framework for a new police oversight commission that would have subpoena powers and be independent of city government. The agencies’ recommendations are expected to be given to city leaders within the next couple of weeks.
What does the Urban League’s ‘reimagined’ police department look like?
West said a reimagined department would embody eight key principles and practices:
The eight principles are:
Community-centered policing, where officers regularly engage with community members and groups through events and outreach programs to build relationships, understand community needs and build a network of support for crime prevention.
Transparency and accountability, including the mandatory use of body cameras; an independent review board with community representation to oversee investigations into police misconduct; and regular publication of detailed reports on police activities, use-of-force incidents and departmental policies.
Training and development, including programs focused on de-escalation techniques, mental health crisis intervention and cultural competency; ongoing training in best practices; and prioritizing the recruitment of officers who reflect the diversity of the community and demonstrate a commitment to public service and ethical behavior.
A supportive internal culture that includes mental health support for officers and leadership that models integrity and ethical behavior, and holds all officers to the highest conduct standards.
Fair and just policies such as placing an officer’s pay in escrow or requiring the officer to use vacation time when the officer is under investigation instead of placing the officer on paid administrative leave; and having strict and clear guidelines on the use of force that emphasize the sanctity of life and the importance of minimizing harm.
Technological and operational excellence such as utilizing advanced technology for crime prevention, data analysis and community engagement and ensuring resources are allocated effectively to areas of great need with a focus on preventive measures rather than punitive actions.
Collaborative problem-solving, where community members are included in the development and review of departmental policies and practices and restorative justice programs are established to address minor offenses through community-based solutions rather than traditional punitive measures.
Respect for civil rights, including officers trained to respect and uphold citizens’ civil rights and active measures to eliminate racial profiling and ensure fair treatment for all community members.
“By embedding these principles into its structure and operations, a reimagined police department can foster a culture of trust, integrity and mutual respect, creating a safer and more harmonious community,” West wrote.
Canton police chief: ‘The community would be happy to know how much of that we do.’
Police Chief John Gabbard said he agrees that many of the points in the Urban League’s letter are important for a police department to follow, which he said is why the department already does them.
“(The letter) signals to me that one of my weak points has been in really advertising how much of these things we actually do,” said Gabbard, a 26-year veteran of the department who became chief in 2022. “We need to get better at that. The community would be happy to know how much of that we do.”
Two of Gabbard’s priorities since becoming chief have been creating opportunities for officers to interact with residents outside of arrest and law enforcement situations, and helping officers handle the daily stress of the job with mental health and wellness resources.
Gabbard started the free community events called We Believe in Canton in 2022, partnered with the J. Babe Stearn Center last year to establish a community outreach post in southwest Canton and has announced a Police in Parks initiative as ways to bring officers and residents together outside of arrest or law enforcement situations.
To help officers with their mental health, the department has partnered with Legacy of Honor in Louisville for the past two years for a variety of wellness, counseling and mental health awareness activities.
Regarding transparency, Gabbard said he has made it a point to release officer-worn body camera video, involved officers' names and related reports as soon as the redactions required under law have been made. The department released the body camera video of K-9 officer Nicholas Casto the same day a social media video surfaced that showed Casto using his police dog, Scooby, to bite a man whom three officers already had lying face down on the ground.
“I think too many police departments sometimes hold back (information) until they can steer a narrative or come out with a way to present something, and I don’t think that’s a good service to the community,” he said.
Gabbard said the release of information or statements could be delayed or limited when the investigation has been turned over to an outside agency, such as the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation. It is the department’s policy to have outside investigators examine incidents involving use of force by a city officer that causes death or serious injury.
“That has kind of posed a challenge to me because if you’re dedicated to having an independent (investigative) process, then you can’t speak freely or make comments on that process,” Gabbard said. “Or else you risk, at least risk the perception of, steering that narrative or influencing that investigation. And that’s the last thing I would do.”
Police chief is ‘open to new ideas’ for training
Gabbard said the department already provides de-escalation and scenario-based training, but he still welcomes new training ideas.
“If you are dedicated to having the best training, you’re always open to new ideas,” Gabbard said. “I think that’s one of the aspects of being a department with a culture of education and training. I’m always open to new ideas.”
Gabbard and 12 other city officers are learning Spanish through the Urban League’s new six-week Stark Cops Speak class that is designed to teach officers basic Spanish phrases that are most often used in law enforcement situations to help officers interact with Stark County’s growing Hispanic community.
The only recommendation from the Urban League that Gabbard said he didn't believe the department could do is put an officer's pay in escrow while the officer is under an internal investigation.
He questioned the legality of doing so, citing the Fair Labor Standards Act and the collective bargaining agreement between the city and the unions that represent the officers. He also said the department’s policy is to immediately place an officer on paid administrative leave when an internal investigation is conducted even if the officer likely acted within departmental policies. He also said that investigations conducted by outside agencies take months to complete.
“I understand the sentiment of not paying someone who may have done something wrong while awaiting the process, but there are contracts and laws that control what protections are in place and there’s protection for due process,” Gabbard said.
West said while he understands the police department may already do some of the principles listed, he hopes the Urban League and other community organizations can help the department do them better.
“It’s one thing to be doing it and it’s another to be doing it well,” West said. “… I think we all can do better.”
As an example, he said the Urban League is providing a list of implicit bias training experts to the department, which he said currently relies on training conducted by former or current police officers.
Urban League, Stark NAACP plan to recommend independent police oversight commission
Stark NAACP President Hector McDaniel said a review of the Canton City Police Department’s 74-page rules and regulations shows the department and its officers have strayed from the department’s stated mission, guiding principles and rules of conduct that govern how they are to uphold the law.
“If you take a look at (the police department’s) mission, you will clearly see that the community is not experiencing what that mission outlines,” McDaniel said. “If talking about protecting and serving the community, I think the community will probably respond that they don’t feel protected and they don’t feel served.”
McDaniel believes the department would have a better relationship with the community if it followed its own handbook.
“Even if we didn’t create anything other than said, ‘You need to align yourselves to the rules and regulations already written,’ we would see a difference in policing in that alone,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel believes establishing an independent oversight commission would be a good beginning step to ensure officers follow the stated rules and to gradually change the department's culture.
“There doesn’t seem to be any accountability to do what is written that you said you would as an officer of the law for the Canton police,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel, who sits on the city's existing oversight commission called the Community Relations Board, said the agencies are still reviewing whether the new oversight commission would replace the existing board or if they would co-exist.
What do Canton residents, activists say?
The Canton Repository reached out to the DiCello Levitt law firm, which is representing multiple families whose loved one was killed by a Canton police officer or who died while in police custody, to get their perspective on the changes they believe are needed at the Canton Police Department and about the Urban League’s letter. The firm's representative initially responded that she would be back in contact, but never did.
The Repository also contacted five residents and activists who have advocated for police reform during recent Canton City Council meetings. Two didn’t respond. Sierra Mason, who was arrested on May 25 on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct while she led a protest in downtown Canton, said her attorneys have advised her to not comment.
Kimberly Bell, a frequent critic of city leaders who ran unsuccessfully for mayor last year, believes the community has passed the point of asking for police accountability and transparency.
“We asked for all of that during the murder of James Williams, and it got us four or five more murdered by this police department and now (an officer) using their K-9 to attack a man,” Bell said.
She believes a more drastic approach is needed, suggesting the mayor fire most of the department’s existing officers and ask Cleveland’s police chief to help with policing until Canton can hire new officers.
Justin Nicely, a Massillon resident who administers the Canton Hall of Shame social media pages that seek to expose police and government abuses of power, believes no changes within the police department will be effective until city leaders view their roles as civil servants to the community and not authority figures with titles.
“The problem is if the underlying issues at hand do not get addressed first, all incentives and efforts to try to close the disconnect mentioned will be in vain, only to go back to the same revolving door of problems,” he said. “… We will never be able to fix what is wrong until we can get the foundation of accountability, transparency, and a genuine give-a-damn to want to actually change what is going on.”
Reach Repository staff writer Kelli Weir at 330-580-8339 or kelli.weir@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark Urban League calls for changes at Canton City Police Department
