COLUMBUS – The mayor of Ohio’s largest city says better police relations are critical to keeping neighborhoods safe at a time of soaring homicides, half of which are going unsolved.
Columbus has had 111 homicides so far this year, the most in 25 years (see graph below).
Democratic Mayor Andrew Ginther acknowledges that many residents say their faith in the police department has been shaken.
Ginther called the number of homicides so far this year “disturbingly high” at a news conference Wednesday, noting that police have no known motive or suspect for about half of those cases. Public Safety Director Ned Pettus said a lack of trust by community members is one of the reasons cases are difficult to solve.
“The faith and confidence of our residents in police is critical to our ability to keep our neighborhoods safe,” Ginther said. “But the stark reality is many in our community say their faith is shaken, leading to strained relationships between the community and police.”
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Ginther and other officials on Wednesday outlined programs the city already has in place to boost police training when it comes to dealing with violent situations. The mayor also announced new goals for training officers when they encounter people having mental health crises.
Police Chief Kim Jacobs says the agency’s goal is to prevent the use of force whenever possible.
Ginther and members of his administration, including Jacobs, outlined programs the city already has started to try to improve that relationship. Ginther said he has held roundtable discussions with people in the community over the past month to discuss the police force, including members of the citizens’ groups that have protested at City Hall over the past year.
About two-thirds of the city’s operating budget — about $577 million — is devoted to its police and fire divisions.
Rick Rouan, of the Columbus Dispatch, contributed to this article