COLUMBUS – With 105 homicides in Columbus so far this year, the city’s new police chief is addressing the outbreak of violence.
Chief Elaine Bryant Tuesday announced the creation of the Columbus Division of Police Parks Detail, consisting of approximately 30 officers deployed on bikes to patrol parks and recreation centers.
“After the long shutdown of COVID, our families want to get out and enjoy our parks and recreation centers. Our priority is making sure they do that without worry of the violence we’ve seen already this summer,” Bryant said.
The areas targeted for extra patrols were selected based on zone crime analysis, which evaluated data for the preceding six months to identify locations around parks and rec centers in need of additional patrols. The deployments will be reevaluated weekly and adjusted as necessary, Bryant said.
The officers are members of the division’s Community Response Team, responsible for engaging with the community, and will provide high visibility to prevent crimes and focus on engaging youth to improve relations.
The move comes on the heels of high-profile shooting incidents on city park property where juvenile victims were harmed.
“It breaks my heart that we’ve lost young people in places where they should be free of worry and violence. This is not acceptable in our city, she said”
Officers may use enforcement strategies to address crime and acts of violence that threaten the safety and well-being of area residents, Bryant said.
The officers will not be reassigned from patrol, Bryant said.