Civilian review board goes to voters
Columbus voters will decide whether the city will have a civilian review board to investigate the actions of police officers.
The move, announced Monday by Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, effectively bypasses the police union to put the civilian review board in place. Ginther has said he hopes to have the board in place by the end of 2020.
Ginther said Monday he is proposing a charter amendment be placed on the November ballot. Before the amendment can go on the ballot, the Columbus City Council must approve it with a two-thirds vote. That vote is expected to take place July 27.
According to the language of the charter amendment, passage would result in the creation of a new department within the city’s governmental structure that would be independent of the Division
of Police and Department of Public Safety. It would also be independent of the mayor’s office, Ginther said.
“I think the people of Columbus have been speaking loudly and clearly about change and reform and ultimately I trust the people. We think there’s enough detail at this point and I trust the people of Columbus to know what they’re voting on.”
The charter amendment would provide sufficient funding for both the review board and an Inspector General that would investigate allegations of misconduct. The board would appoint the investigator.
Ginther said the working group he appointed earlier this month to establish a structure for the civilian review board in Columbus will begin its work soon and will have more details about what the board would look like prior to the November election. If the amendment were to pass, city council would then use ordinances to implement the specifics outlined by the working group.
According to a draft of the legislation that will go on the ballot, the civilian review board will consist of an odd number of members who will serve four-year terms. The inspector general would need a confirmation vote of a two-thirds majority of the review board and additional confirmation from the mayor for a five-year term, according to the legislation.
Details on how the members of the board will be picked have not yet been determined.
City Council President Shannon Hardin said the amendment makes the board strong, outlasting any individual leader or governmental body.
“Five or 10 or 20 years down the line, it is protected from the whim of elected officials who might be less friendly toward accountability,” Hardin said.
Erin Synk, who was a part of the mayor’s Community Safety Advisory Commission that recommended a review board and is on the working group, said there is a lot of work ahead.
Synk said she is personally interested in learning more about the model of civilian review utilized in Denver. She said the model is similar to what is being proposed in Columbus, with an independent investigator appointed by the review board.
Ginther said he believes the amendment will pass in November because the community wants to seek change. He said he is unconcerned with the rank and file members of the police division accepting the review board, despite no active members of law enforcement being named to the working group.
“I think the people of Columbus have been speaking loudly and clearly about change and reform and ultimately I trust the people,” Ginther said. “We think there’s enough detail at this point and I trust the people of Columbus to know what they’re voting on.”
There has not been an estimated monetary figure released for how much the creation of a new governmental department and staffing would cost the city.
The Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9 did not immediately have a comment in response to the mayor’s announcement. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner