Akron community leaders announced Wednesday that their combined efforts allowed them to deliver 7,595 petition signatures earlier today to Akron City Council with the goal of placing a charter amendment in November.The Committee to Improve Police-Community Relations wants to change the hiring process for local police and fire leadership, allowing the City of Akron to consider internal and external candidates for future chief and deputy chief positions with the Akron Police Department and Akron Fire Department.If certified by the Summit County Board of Elections, their efforts — in less than three weeks — easily surpassed the minimum number of signatures required to place the issue on the ballot (4,862). “People were disappointed that we had to go this route,” said Akron NAACP President Judi Hill.“But that’s OK. “We recognize that the community is open to change.”The charter amendment would supersede a previously, little-known state law that the City of Akron’s law department discovered earlier this year amid a national search for a new police chief: Only internal candidates can be considered for chief and deputy chief positions in the city’s fire and police departments. The previous charter amendment effort faced stark opposition from the police and fire unions. And in July, the Akron City Council voted 7-4 to reject legislation proposed by Akron Mayor Shammas Malik to place the amendment on the November ballot.Akron Mayor Shammas Malik speaks during a July 23 press conference that provided updates about the June 2 mass shooting in Akron. (Doug Brown / Signal Akron)The Committee to Improve Police-Community Relations is composed of local faith leaders and at least one retiree from the Akron police and City of Akron. It’s supported by the Akron chapter of the NAACP and FreedomBLOC, as well as by Malik, Akron City Council Members Linda Omobien (At-Large), Eric Garrett (At-Large) and Jan Davis (Ward 4), State Sen. Vernon Sykes, State Rep. Veronica Sims and others.The post Community leaders deliver petition signatures, hopeful charter amendment reaches ballot appeared first on Signal Akron.First published by Signal Akron.