COLUMBUS – Combating gun violence is one of the priorities in a 2023 budget plan to be unveiled by Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther this week.
More than $705 million will be set aside for additional police officers and firefighters, the creation of an Office of Violence Prevention, and expansion of the Right Response Unit, which imbeds social workers and mental health professionals in the 911 dispatch center, Ginther announced Monday.
He plans to announce his proposed 2023 General Fund budget on Thursday.
The safety portion of the budget includes funds to create the Office of Violence Prevention within the Mayor’s office to streamline and strengthen safety efforts. It follows a recommendation from the Columbus Board of Health, which has been tasked with addressing gun violence as a public health crisis.
The budget plan includes funding for the Safe Streets initiative, which sends uniformed bicycle officers into neighborhoods to improve community-police relations; the Right Response Unit, which teams social workers and mental health professionals with 911 dispatchers to connect callers with the appropriate resources, enabling officers to focus on incidents that require a police presence; and, for expanding the Rapid Response Emergency Addiction Crisis Team, which provides follow-up services for opiate overdose patients in Franklin County.
The proposal calls for hiring up to 170 new police officers, as well 25 lateral transfers from other jurisdictions, and 125 new firefighters, Ginther said.
The budget also calls for hiring additional staff for the Office of the Inspector General for the Division of Police as well as the city’s crime lab, impound lot and records unit.
Additional items included in the budget:
- Supporting Specialized Program Assessing Resource Connectivity, which cares for aging and medically fragile residents as well as those whose lives are impacted by homelessness, mental health issues and substance abuse.
- Strengthening Mobile Crisis Response to broaden de-escalation tactics for situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health emergency or substance abuse disorder.
- Continuing investments in young people, including through Teens and Police Service, which connects youth with police mentors, and extensive programming in the city’s Recreation and Parks Department.