Columbus Mayor & City Atty ask the DOJ to investigate Columbus PD
WOSU News (@wosunews) Tweeted:
Columbus Officials Ask Department Of Justice To Investigate Police https://t.co/pzsEGDpbyw https://t.co/vNCpIgs4B4
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From the story in the tweet
snip-"Columbus city officials are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Columbus Division of Police. The request comes after an officer in the department fatally shot Ma’Khia Bryant last week.
In a letter to the DOJ, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein asked for an evaluation of CPD’s police reform efforts to determine whether they are sufficient or working. They also asked the department to investigate whether racial disparities exist in CPD that impact things like use of force, discipline and hiring practices."
snip-"The letter states that in the case of the city and the Fraternal Order of Police disagreeing on suggested action items, the DOJ can order those changes through the court system. If it comes to this, the letter says “we will fully support these efforts because we share the ultimate goal of reforming policing practices in the City of Columbus.”
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #9 issued a statement in response to the letter, saying that politicians' rhetoric is increasing crime in the area by creating contempt for officers."
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1.https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/26/us/ohio-city-s-police-union-fights-us-in-brutality-case.html
snip-"A federal lawsuit accusing the Columbus police of brutality and other civil rights violations could become a major test of wills between the government and the city's police union.
The lawsuit, filed last month by the Justice Department, demands improvements in the training and supervision of police officers and in the investigation of civilian complaints against the 1,700-member force.
The city and the Justice Department had reached a tentative settlement, but the approval of the Columbus Fraternal Order of Police was needed because the agreement required changes in the officers' contract. The lawsuit was filed the day after the union rejected the pact.
After a review of 300 complaints that began with 10 black residents of Columbus, the Justice Department accused the police of roughing up residents and falsely arresting people who had witnessed police misconduct. Columbus, which is the state capital, is the nation's 15th-largest city, with a population of 670,000 people. About one-fifth are black."
more at source.
2.https://www.justice.gov/crt/columbus-findings-letter
snip-Janet E. Jackson, Esq.
City Attorney
City of Columbus
90 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215-9013
Dear Ms. Jackson:
As you are aware, the Civil Rights Division has been conducting a civil investigation pursuant to federal civil rights laws of allegations of police misconduct by officers of the Columbus Division of Police ("CDP"
. As a result of our investigation, we have determined that CDP officers are engaged in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, making false arrests and lodging false charges, and conducting improper searches and seizures in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. Accordingly, I have authorized the filing of a civil suit in United States District Court, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 14141, to obtain equitable and declaratory relief to eliminate the pattern or practice of misconduct. We would be willing to defer filing suit, however, if you are interested in negotiating a voluntary settlement in the form of a consent decree to be filed with our civil complaint.
Our investigation further has examined whether the CDP discriminates on the basis of race in its treatment of civilians, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. § 3789d(c). These statutes, together, prohibit law enforcement agencies that receive Justice Department financial assistance (such as the CDP) from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or religion. At this juncture, we have not reached any conclusion about whether the CDP has violated these statutes in its treatment of civilians, and our investigation of this issue is continuing. We also understand that a separate investigation is being conducted by the Office for Civil Rights in the Justice Department's Office of Justice Programs into allegations that the CDP is engaging in employment discrimination in violation of Title VI and the Safe Streets Act.
The information we have reviewed in conducting this investigation includes: CDP internal files relating to over 300 citizen complaints of misconduct filed with the CDP; documents from recent civil lawsuits against the City and CDP officers relating to police misconduct; CDP "use of force" reports, "injury to prisoner" reports, and reports on the use of mace; statistical data on citizen complaints and other matters that are maintained on computer by the CDP; policies and procedures of the CDP relating to the supervision and monitoring of officers, the receipt of citizen complaints, and the investigation and adjudication of citizen complaints; the June 30, 1997 Mayoral Investigative Report of the Columbus Division of Police; the April 14, 1998 report of Chief Jackson to the mayor; and other city documents that address whether reforms are needed in CDP management practices. We also have interviewed numerous individuals, and have met with city officials including you, the Chief of Police, and the Director of Public Safety.
Our investigation indicates that incidents of police misconduct in Columbus frequently share many common elements. Many of the victims of excessive force, false arrest or charges, and/or an improper search are, at the time when the misconduct occurs, carrying out some ordinary, routine daily activity (either not violating the law or committing some minor infraction). Misconduct often is triggered by the officer's perception that the victim in some way disrespected the officer, although often the victim's conduct in fact is relatively or completely innocuous. On other occasions, the misconduct stems from some emotional turmoil experienced by the officer resulting from some unrelated, prior occurrence, or involves other misconduct. Often, victims are arrested and charged with such crimes as disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and/or obstruction of official business, but the charges then are dismissed or the victim is found not guilty. Victims frequently are African American, or are young, female, or lower income whites. The officers involved in misconduct many times have a history of complaints against them, and fail to report accurately to their superiors what transpired in the incident (changing the facts to portray the victim as responsible for the arrest, the use of force, and/or the search).
snip-Sincerely,
Bill Lann Lee
Acting Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division >
Updated August 6, 2015
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