29 apply to be city’s inspector general

The Columbus Police Civilian Review Board will have more than two dozen people to choose from in selecting the city’s first inspector general — including one of its own members.

The city received 29 applications for the position created to independently investigate allegations of police misconduct, according to a list provided to The Dispatch on Wednesday. The Dispatch received only a list of names from the city and had not as of Wednesday received resumes and application materials provided by those candidates.

Melanie Crabill, a spokeswoman for Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, said Ralph Andersen and Associates, a national search firm that has previously assisted the city in searches that led to the hiring of police Chief Elaine Bryant and former Chief Thomas

Quinlan, as well as fire Chief Jeffrey Happ, will help narrow the pool of candidates that will be provided to the 11-member civilian review board for consideration.

The final decision on who will be selected will be made by the review board, with Ginther confirming their selection for a five-year term and an option available for a second five-year term. The inspector general will be able to hire their own staff to conduct investigations into allegations of police misconduct. The review board will then look at those investigations once complete.

Among the candidates to apply for the position was only one current Columbus police employee: Lt. Melissa Mcfadden, who has an ongoing federal lawsuit against the city and has had complaints filed against her related to a book she published in 2020 about her experiences as a Black police officer.