Summit County Sheriff’s Office creates new position

by Dan Holland

Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree set out to bring changes to the office long before winning election last November. One of those changes involved creating the civilian position of Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The sheriff’s office named Akron native Esther Thomas as the new DEI director in early August. E. J. Brinson was originally hired March 1 to fill the role but was dismissed less than one month later.

According to a job description, the DEI Director “works closely with all departments to promote a culture of inclusion, ensuring compliance with union contracts, federal, state, [and] local laws, developing effective recruitment strategies to hire, retain, place, and promote gender, racially, and ethnically diverse staff.”

“I determined that we needed some changes in the organization, and I felt that it was necessary in light of some of my own experiences as well as what was happening across the nation,” said Fatheree. “I thought it was time for us to have a person dedicated to help with diversity, equity and inclusion to help to facilitate good conversations between the community and the sheriff’s office.”

Thomas, who was director of human resources at Community Action Akron Summit, is chair of the Akron Civil Rights Commission and served as a magistrate in the Summit County Juvenile Court system for many years. She said Fatheree’s running platform lined up strongly with her own values.

“Her administration has really stressed diversity, inclusion and equity,” said Thomas. “And her platform of professionalism, transparency and inclusion – those are all things that will enhance our community.”

Fatheree said she hopes the new position will begin to bridge a gap between the community and law enforcement.

“I just saw a disconnect between the community and law enforcement, and the gap has been getting wider,” she said. Creating this position is what Fatheree said is a first step toward changing the face of relations across the nation.

Thomas echoed this vision, saying, “We’re all touched and impacted by law enforcement, so if there’s a way to enhance that, [the position] seems like a natural fit for my background, skillset and my interests. But primarily, it was the mission to improve and enhance the work that the sheriff’s office does.”

Fatheree said she hopes the new position will set precedent for other law enforcement agencies to follow.

“Here in Summit County, we’re going to be ahead of the curve and we’re going to be the model that other organizations across the nation will be looking at,” she said.

In conjunction with the new position, the Summit County Sheriff’s Department plans to take part in ”Faith in Blue” to be held at the University of Akron Oct. 9.

“It’s a way for law enforcement and the faith-based community to come together and have good conversations, understanding and fellowship,” explained Fatheree. “I think it’s a good start to help repair and improve.”