The Stark County NAACP and the Greater Stark County Urban League are in early talks with Canton officials about creating a civilian police oversight board, according to NAACP leadership.
The move comes following the deaths of two Black men during encounters with Canton police in recent years and the use of a police dog during an arrest in April in which the man was complying with officers.
James Williams was shot and killed by Officer Robert Huber on Jan. 1, 2022, while Williams was firing his AR-15 into the air in his backyard to celebrate the new year, according to his family. A Stark County grand jury declined to indict Huber.
Frank Tyson died in police custody in April. After initially resisting arrest, officers pinned Tyson to the ground and handcuffed him, while one officer pressed his knee on Tyson's back. He repeatedly yelled, "I can't breathe." Officers left him motionless on the ground for seven minutes before administering first aid. Calls for a police oversight board were brought up after Tyson's death.
In May, an officer let a K-9 attack a Black man already on his stomach with his hands behind his back, complying with police.
The organizations are collaborating to develop a framework for what an oversight board would look like in Canton, NAACP President Hector McDaniel said.
"Change is coming to this community in terms of policing," he said. "It is a sure bet that it's going to look a lot different."
The organizations have met with city officials to discuss a potential board, he said.
"We have not heard any opposition, but I also would like to add we're not concerned about any opposition," McDaniel said. "We're just concerned about doing what's right for the community."
Greater Stark County Urban League President and CEO Thomas West wants to work with Canton police on an oversight board, he said. He's spoken with Police Chief John Gabbard, who he says is open to discussion.
"It seems individuals are individually dismantling trust in law enforcement," West said, adding that he's looking to work with police, not against them.
In a letter sent June 3 to Police Chief John Gabbard, Director of Public Safety Andrea Perry and City Council, West suggested that officers under investigation should not only be placed on leave but their pay should be held in escrow until the investigation is complete and their vacation days should be used as their time off.
"Currently, the practice allows police officers to avoid consequences. Enough is enough," he wrote. "We demand a reimagined police department where integrity and respect for fellow citizens and our city are paramount."
The letter then outlines eight ideas to reimagine the police department, including community centered policing, increased transparency and accountability, comprehensive training and recruitment, a supportive internal culture, fair and just policies, modernized technology, collaborative problem solving and respect for civil rights.
The board is needed to repair the relationship between the police and the community, McDaniel added.
“There doesn’t appear to be a, I want to say a great representation of community being involved specifically when we’re looking at injustices that the police department is involved in when it comes to community," McDaniel said.
A civilian police oversight board would likely need to be passed as an amendment to the city’s charter. McDaniel does not yet have a timeline for getting it on the ballot, he said.
"It takes some time, and it take some patience," he said. "And that's a little challenging for a community that continues to get beat up."
Mayor William Sherer II did not respond to a request for comment.
