AKRON, Ohio (WJW) – Just 25 days into his tenure, Akron’s new mayor on Thursday held the first of what he promises to be routine press conferences. His emphasis Thursday was on public safety.
Among the announcements on Thursday was the requirement for Akron police officers to once again wear name tags on their uniforms.
Former Police Chief Steve Mylett had officers remove the name tags from their uniforms in June of 2022 following the fatal police involved shooting of Jayland Walker .
Mylett showed FOX 8 some of the threats he said were being directed at the time toward individual officers and his department.
The new mayor believes it is time to bring the name tags back.
“I want to be clear where there are threats and where there are things that cross a line, we are going to make sure that those are investigated and folks are held accountable for that. But at the end of the day, we have to balance the need to have community policing and build relationships against the safety concerns that are there,” said Mayor Shammas Malik, who wants all officers to be in compliance by March 1.