On Sunday afternoon, news of Chief James Nice’s resignation from the Akron Police Department broke, which prompted immediate speculation. Mayor Dan Horrigan called a 12:30 press conference on Monday to clear up any confusion.
On Tuesday, Mayor Horrigan and Kenneth Ball, the new chief of police, joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss Nice’s resignation and how the city will move forward. Horrigan is a firm believer in accountability and transparency in his cabinet, and he demands the same in other departments as far as maintaining that trust in the community. Ball reiterated those comments.
Many surmised the resignation was due to the suicide of the teenager inside the police cruiser, but both the mayor and chief stressed this was an unrelated incident.