At the end of May, Akron's deputy police chief Brian Harding was sworn in as the new chief of police. This happened after a candidate search divided city leaders and had its fair share of controversy.
Akron Mayor Shammas Malik said Harding, who's been with the department for three decades, would help the department combat violence, build trust with the community and accountability, and refocus the department's priorities on community policing.
Less than a week after Chief Harding took over officially, a deadly shooting happened at an East Akron birthday party, that killed one, injured 27 and traumatized the entire Akron community. The suspect is still at large and Chief Harding has said catching those involved is priority number one for the agency.
With the community still reeling from the shooting, Ideastream's Akron/Canton reporter Anna Huntsman sat down with the new police chief to talk about his role and how he plans on serving and protecting the community.
Anna Huntsman joins Tuesday's "Sound of Ideas" to share what she learned from the Akron police chief.
And later this hour, we've invited some Akron community leaders on to share their thoughts on how the new chief is doing and discuss overall community police relations.
Guests:
-Anna Huntsman, Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
-Brian Harding, Akron Police Chief
-Rev. Ray Greene, Executive Director, Freedom Bloc
-Judi Hill, President, Akron NAACP
