Summit County residents can now have the Sheriff’s weekly "Warrant Wednesday" suspects land straight in their pockets. The Sheriff’s Office is using a free mobile app to push its wanted bulletins directly to smartphones, and in its latest alert, the agency spotlighted a man wanted on multiple felony counts while encouraging tipsters to respond through the app.
Who the sheriff named
The agency’s Facebook bulletin identifies the suspect as Devonte Starks, 36, listing charges that include felonious assault, aggravated burglary, strangulation, receiving stolen property, and violating a protection order. The post also provides a physical description: 6-foot-3, about 290 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, and notes a last-known address on Orlando Avenue in Akron. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Detective Bureau at (330) 643-2131, according to the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
What the mobile app does
The Sheriff’s Office says the free app sends location-based alerts, agency news, and direct links to inmate rosters, sheriff sales, the sex-offender registry, and tip-submission tools. Officials stress that the app is for verified alerts from the agency and is not a replacement for calling 911 in an emergency. Details and download links are available on the Summit County Sheriff's Office site.
Warrant Wednesday and crowdsourced tips
Warrant Wednesday is part of a broader effort by the Sheriff’s Office to crowdsource leads and put active warrants in front of as many eyes as possible. Local coverage has noted that the department often pairs the weekly spotlight with a push to install the app so residents can get future alerts and submit tips, as reported in coverage of how the agency frequently pairs the weekly spotlight with a prompt to install the app.
Safety and scam warnings
Officials are also warning residents to watch out for impersonation scams that try to mimic law enforcement calls. "The Sheriff's Office does NOT phone residents to notify them of outstanding warrants or unpaid fines," the agency states, urging anyone who receives a suspicious call to verify it by contacting dispatch at (330) 643-2181, per the Summit County Sheriff's Office.
Legal note
The charges listed in the agency bulletin are allegations, and anyone named is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Officials ask that residents not approach the person named in the bulletin and instead pass along any information to investigators through the app or by calling the detective line.
The department’s bulletins include download links for the app and contact details. In emergencies, residents should call 911. For nonemergency tips related to this bulletin, use the detective number listed in the post or send an anonymous tip through the app.
