Columbus police team protects protester rights
Dialogue officers attend events with goal to diffuse tensions, prevent use of force
In the wake of a mistrial in the case of a former Franklin County Sheriff ’s deputy accused of killing a Black man, nearly 100 people took to the streets in the Short North demanding justice.
Joining them along their route were a group wearing bright blue vests over their Columbus police uniforms. The officers stood off to the side, making sure everyone was able to share their thoughts peacefully.
For nearly four years, the shadow of the Columbus police response to 2020’s protests and civil unrest has hung in the air at similar events. But a team of Columbus officers focused on encouraging dialogue has been working for the last two years to undo that damage.
Officers typically receive overtime pay when they attend protests as members of the dialogue team because most of the officers are doing the work outside of their normal job duties.
Members of the Division of Police’s dialogue team have attended more than 100 protests, events and festivals each year with a goal of diffusing tensions and preventing situations from escalating to the point where a more forceful police response is needed.
The dialogue team in Columbus is the only unit of its kind in Ohio and one of only a few dialogue teams in the country. With more than 50 members, all who volunteered, Columbus has the largest dialogue unit in the country, Cmdr. Duane Mabry said.
Now departments around the country are looking to Columbus as a leader in how to better approach large-scale events and protests.
Mabry said the team also fields inquiries from agencies from coast to coast interested in learning more after Columbus police presented at a national police conference in 2023.
“Honest dialogue requires honest intent. We have to build relationships; we have to be seen over and over again. Our job is to be neutral and engage with everybody.” Cmdr. Duane Mabry
Dialogue team formed after judge said 2020 response ‘ran amok’
In 2020, as protests swept the country in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, activists, legal scholars a judge
leaves the house in a vehicle gets home safe,” Bruning said.
What does this mean for Ohio drivers?
The bill could tack on additional fines starting at $400 with the first offense. It would also require the driver to take a safe driving course, according to the bill.
On the second offense, there is an $800 fine and a 90-day license suspension. Additional offenses can bring a $1,200 fine with a one-year license suspension.
The law would require each offense to be corroborated by at least two witnesses or a police-worn body camera, dash cam or roadside camera.
Why could penalties increase?
Often workers are injured on the job shoveling snow, repaving roads or fixing potholes. One crash in 2022 saw a dump truck explode in a ball of flame, injuring one ODOT worker.
With 34 Odot-related crashes in the first two months of 2024, the state is on pace to surpass the 2023 number of 56, Bruning said.
In the last five years, there have been 96 deaths in work zones, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The state does not track how many workers died.
There have been about 350 work zone crashes in 2024 so far. Last year, there were over 4,000 incidents.
Updating the meaning of construction zone
The proposed legislation would update what a construction zone encompasses.
If passed, the bill would expand the definition of a construction zone to include any street or highway that is under construction, “reconstruction, resurfacing, or any other work of a repair or maintenance nature, including public utility work,” according to the bill’s language.
Utility work could include energy companies repairing poles.
Work zones would begin where the first worker or construction equipment is located and end with the last.
Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @bryce_buyakie