The Akron Citizens’ Police Oversight Board moved closer to hiring an independent police auditor at a special meeting Wednesday night, voting 7-2 to extend a job offer to Anthony Finnell — currently an independent consultant and president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

While board members praised Finnell as the most qualified candidate considered for the position, disagreement arose Wednesday over the need for public participation in the hiring process. The board also briefly addressed Seattle media reports about a whistleblower complaint criticizing Finnell’s performance in a previous auditor role.

CPOB Chair Kemp Boyd and fellow member Caitlin Castle voted against extending the offer, with Boyd saying he wanted to bring Finnell back for a third interview that would have involved input from the public, an idea that Castle agreed with.

Board member Diane Lewis, who voted in favor of the offer, said she thought a third interview was called for — but she didn’t see the need to involve the public. She said she was concerned that Finnell, who plans to rent an apartment in Akron while maintaining a residence in Indianapolis, would be away during weekends — when a considerable amount of police enforcement activity takes place.

“My concern is the accessibility,” Lewis said. “I want to ask him a bit more about what that looks like.”

Board member Bob Gippin emphasized that Finnell won’t be hired until the board votes on a final contract. He said that while he is unsure how long that process will take, the public can provide feedback on the pending appointment during comment periods at regular board meetings or via email to CPOB@akronohio.gov. According to its website, the board’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 10 at 6 p.m. at Akron City Hall, located at 166 S. High St.  

Vice Chair Donzella Anuszkiewicz said Finnell was the only candidate the board interviewed who had worked both on police oversight boards and as an auditor.

“We had good candidates,” she said, “but he was the best. He was the absolute best.”

Who is Anthony Finnell?

Finnell has served in various roles with the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) since 2016. He also serves as an independent consultant in the fields of civilian oversight of law enforcement policy and procedures, investigations and community-based policing and security.

He is a retired sergeant from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department whose career in law enforcement spanned more than 20 years.

Starting in 2014, he became executive director of the Citizens’ Police Review Board in Oakland, California. In 2017, that board was disbanded and replaced by the Community Police Review Agency, for which he was named interim executive director. In 2018, he was abruptly fired from that role without public explanation.

A story published by the East Bay Express, however, noted that Finnell had clashed with the Oakland Police Commission, telling commissioners that they would not have access to investigative files, including during closed session meetings.

Before working in Oakland, Finnell worked in Chicago, as supervising investigator for the city’s Independent Police Review Authority.

Performance questioned in Seattle

In 2021, the South Seattle Emerald, a nonprofit news outlet in Washington state, published a story saying Finnell, who at the time was the auditor for the Office of the Inspector General, was under investigation after a whistleblower claimed he insufficiently reviewed evidence in cases that he certified. A 2022 report on the Seattle-area news site PubliCola noted that Finnell had left that office before the external review concluded — with a report listing recommendations for improved practices at the office.

The Akron oversight board received an email pointing to the Seattle review after a Dec. 20 special meeting during which the board mentioned Finnell was being considered for the position. Gippin said he had already read the article cited in the email, and opted not to ask Finnell about it during the interview process because he didn’t think there was much substance to the complaints.

“Nothing I’ve seen since changes my mind about that,” Gippin said. “It creates no concern.”

Fellow board members Anuszkiewicz and Brandyn Costa said they agreed with Gippin’s assessment of the situation .

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreidr@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413