City vice unit served as lifeline for many
I’d like to thank the members of the Columbus Division of Police vice unit for their service to the city. Unfortunately, the entire unit has been dragged through the mud while a few officers remain accused of wrongdoing. My husband has proudly served the city for 27 years, 18 of those with the vice unit. The women who prostitute themselves in Columbus have lost a lifeline with the disbanding of the unit.
My husband, along with other detectives, worked to redirect the lives of these women whom they cited for prostitution to drug rehab, Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Paul Herbert’s Catch Court, retired Judge Scott Vanderkarr’s drug court, Salvation Army, food pantries, safe housing, inhome assessments and other social services to protect them from abuse, battery, robbery and rape.
He also has received letters from young women and their families whose lives he has changed by encouraging these women to change their life paths and directing them to support services. However, as this is not salacious, it does not make the news.
Street prostitutes no longer look like their beautiful high-school senior pictures and have typically gone without meals
Al Iosue resigned from Hilliard City Council on Feb. 10, stating: “For personal reasons, I have decided it is in my best interest to resign at this time and spend more time with my family.” The quote comes from This Week Community News. Here we are about six weeks later and not only is Iosue still on the ballot for the Hilliard City Council Republican primary election on May 7, but he was just named the city’s new service director by Mayor Don Schonhardt.
Please carefully consider whom you vote for on May 7. There are candidates who will dedicate time and effort to being on city council to help make significant improvements to Hilliard. I have never been one to wish away time. However, 2020 cannot come soon enough when we will have a city manager in Hilliard.
Also according to This Week Community News, the city manager will oversee the hiring of department directors. Iosue said he would prefer to remain service director but, if that was not an option and he was elected in the May 7 primary and Nov. 5 general elections, he would be happy to serve again on city council.
Either he wants to be on city council or he doesn't. He should not use a seat on council as his backup plan in case his other city job does not last. Hilliard residents deserve better.
Tim Ryan, Hilliard