Akron Officials Report Decrease in Crime, Announce New Public Safety Initiatives

Akron city officials gathered Thursday to announce significant decreases in crime statistics for the first quarter of 2025 and share updates on various public safety initiatives.

Mayor Shammas Malik, Akron Police Chief Brian Harding, Fire Chief Leon Henderson, and other city officials presented the latest crime data and provided insights into programs aimed at improving public safety across the city.

Chief Harding shared that crime has decreased in nearly every major category compared to the first quarter of 2024, continuing a positive trend that began last year. Calls for service have decreased 7%, while 911 calls to the dispatch center are down roughly 5% throughout the first quarter. Shootings and shots fired calls have decreased 9%, while firearms-related offenses are down an impressive 40%. Shootings in habitation are down over 32%.

The city has experienced one fatal shooting incident involving an adult and 11 non-fatal shooting incidents so far this year. Reported crimes show notable declines across multiple categories: robbery down 39%, felonious assault down 37%, breaking and entering down 7%, and auto thefts decreased 28%.

Police use of force numbers have decreased 27%, and assaults on officers are down approximately 56%. However, firearm recoveries have decreased about 49%, which officials attribute to the overall decline in crime.

The only crime category showing an increase is sexual assaults. Officials reported 73 incidents so far this year, trending similarly to 2023 when there were 77 reported rapes, after a decrease to 50 in 2024. Chief Harding noted that juvenile-related sexual assaults have contributed to this uptick.

To help maintain the positive crime trends through the summer months, the department is co-hosting a “Cruise into Summer” event with the Akron Fire Department, Lock 3, and Ron Marhoffer of the Marhoffer Auto Group on June 5th. The event will celebrate the last day of school for Akron Public Schools students and promote a safe summer through games, food, entertainment, and information about summer resources.

Public Safety Strategist Tony Ingram provided an update on the Street Team pilot program, which was first announced during Mayor Malik’s state of the city address last year. The program focuses on violence interruption, outreach, prevention, mentoring, and connecting individuals and families with community resources. The city has partnered with Minority Behavioral Health to hire, train, and cultivate “credible messengers” who interact directly with residents deemed at risk for violence and help de-escalate conflicts.

The first credible messenger was hired in January 2025, with another full-time messenger added in February and a part-time messenger in March. Since January, the team has engaged with 30 previous violent offenders and those at high risk of future violence. They’ve made 40 visits to individuals in hospitals, juvenile court, and prisons, and handled over 125 phone calls requesting intervention services.

Ingram shared a story about a young man dealing with trauma after his father received a long prison sentence. After expressing interest in becoming a firefighter, the Street Team connected him with Fire Chief Henderson, who spoke with him about the path to a firefighting career.

Fire Chief Leon Henderson provided an update on the Summit County Outreach Team (SCOUT) program, which began operating in March 2024. This community-based initiative provides immediate on-site assistance to individuals experiencing mental health or substance use crises. The team, which currently operates Monday through Friday, responds to low-acuity mental health calls at various locations including homes, workplaces, and public spaces.

In its first year, the SCOUT team responded to 1,051 calls for service. Of those, 417 were for welfare checks, 399 were for residents experiencing psychological episodes or exhibiting abnormal behaviors, 177 were follow-up visits, and 28 were to assist police with citizens. Chief Henderson announced plans to expand the program to include Saturdays later this year.

Mayor Malik highlighted the importance of addressing upstream causes of violence, announcing that Akron is signing the Aspen Institute’s Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports. This initiative focuses on creating a shared community understanding that all youth should have meaningful opportunities to develop through sports.

The city intends to partner with the Aspen Institute’s Project Play initiative and commit to having at least 64% of young people playing sports by the end of this decade. To support this goal, the city has budgeted $100,000 for grants for sports and wellness nonprofits and another $100,000 in the capital budget to design esports gaming rooms in community centers.

Youth Opportunity Strategist Denico Buckley-Knight spoke about the importance of sports and wellness as violence prevention strategies. Working with Youth Success Summit, the city has made sports and wellness one of three pillars of their youth success strategy, alongside arts and enrichment, and college and career readiness.

Director of Neighborhood Assistance Eufrancia Lash reported on the city’s demolition program, which has already made significant progress this year. In the first 119 days of 2025, the city has demolished 88 blighted residential structures, with four more to be completed from grant funding. Officials have also taken down Ranken Elementary School and are working on several other commercial properties, with plans to remove an additional 50 properties for the remainder of the year.

Mayor Malik concluded the press conference by acknowledging the daily efforts of city employees working to improve public safety and quality of life for Akron residents. He shared a story about School Resource Officer Ka Bianci, who recently saved a young man in distress at a school lunchroom by performing the Heimlich maneuver.

“These are the large and small things that our whole team at the city is doing each and every day,” Malik said, emphasizing the collaborative approach to addressing public safety challenges in Akron.