Editorial: There’s no turning back on police reforms

It could have been a defining moment for Akron. One poorly timed but well-aimed projectile could produce chaos. The right message from a speaker holding a bullhorn amid a massive protest could soothe rightly angry souls.

The speaker, Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball, stood before a large throng cordoned away from the Stubbs Justice Center on May 30, while flanked by officers in riot gear. More officers guarded the police headquarters behind him.

The crowd had swelled as a long and peaceful march across the city drew more and more people demanding change in how police officers treat minorities. The death of George Floyd, an African-American man, with a Minneapolis officer’s knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes had unleashed years of frustration with police brutality and institutional racism. The crowd demanded to speak with an officer.

Conceding that he had no “magic words” to make them feel better about Floyd’s death, Ball pledged his officers would do everything they could to allow protesters to safely exercise their First Amendment rights. He also admitted some Akron police officers make mistakes, promising his department will admit when it’s wrong and is willing to listen to concerns.

Video shows many in the diverse crowd were appreciative of Ball’s words but far from satisfied. The moment did not duplicate scenes across America where officers knelt with protesters or dropped their body armor and joined marches, immediately diffusing situations. Nor did tensions escalate until hours later.

In Akron and elsewhere, it’s clear that police who allowed protesters to speak their peace and sought to deescalate tensions did the best job of protecting their communities. When police showed up in riot gear, unfortunate events followed.

There’s a great lesson in that reality.

Before we comment further, we want one point to be clear. We appreciate the dangerous work police officers undertake every day, not knowing if their next call will be the one where a surprise gunman fires on them. Too many officers lose their lives in this country every year.

We also support proper policing of our communities and reject the ludicrous notion of “defunding police” as some liberal activists have suggested. Such foolishness hurts the righteous call of many for police to fundamentally change how officers approach minorities and the proper use of force only when necessary.

Thanks to cameras nearly every citizen now carries, we’ve finally begun to understand the level of police misconduct in our society. It’s always been there, but far too often most citizens and the media accepted the official recounting of events from police officers, who, at times, falsified their reports to superiors. In too many departments, it’s more than one or two bad officers.

The playing field between police and citizens has been leveled forever by this technology, including officer body cameras, which protect police and citizens with accurate information.

There are many worthwhile ideas for reforming police departments and ensuring proper oversight by the citizens they serve. Better training to help officers to intervene against their colleagues could pay real dividends. It’s also clear our society needs to close the significant gap in training between large, professional departments and small-town forces.

It’s time for Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, Summit County Sheriff Steve Barry and their fellow leaders in towns large and small across the region to immediately convene public hearings and study successful police reforms. We also call on police unions to embrace this opportunity to improve policing by openly considering reforms that will improve public confidence in their work.

There’s no turning back. Citizens — not just protesters — clearly expect significant change.

George Floyd’s senseless and avoidable death won’t be forgotten.