Akron police blame some gun violence on jail limits

Akron police are partially blaming a dramatic increase in violent crime and murders on their inability to have people locked up in the Summit County Jail on charges of weapons violations.

But county leaders disagree, saying that although they have reduced the jail’s capacity in an effort to keep the coronavirus out — so far successfully — the police department is unfairly shifting blame.

The department issued a statement Tuesday saying the recent violence is part of a national trend, but it also put part of the blame on the jail. The nine slayings in Akron in July rank it among the deadliest in the city since at least 2010.

As of Monday, the city had 30 slayings this year, nearly as many as the total in all of 2019 — 33 — and all of 2018 — 32.

“For those most impacted by gun violence, and for the police officers we rely on to intercede, it’s important to acknowledge now more than ever that we face too great a challenge getting violent offenders off of our streets,” the department said. “Hurdles getting violent offenders into the Summit County Jail existed for Akron Police long before COVID-19. Those challenges have only increased since the start of the pandemic.”

Of 120 people arrested by Akron officers on weapons charges from March 9 to July 27, 50 were accepted into the jail, and many of those were released after a few hours, police said.

Each of the 70 defendants who received a summons were turned away by the jail, police said.

The 120 were charged with a mix of felony and misdemeanor weapons violations.

Inspector Bill Holland of the Summit County sheriff’s office, which operates the jail, said it reduced its population and imposed restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Basically once COVID started, we realized we were going to have to do something to keep COVID out of our facility,” Holland said. “Obviously if it were to get in, it would affect a lot of people in a short amount of time.”