Charges against Connor Grubb: Family lawyer Ta’Kiya Young on police culture
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A U.S. Department of Justice review of the Columbus Police Department found deficiencies in the agency’s use-of-force records, saying the records did not include complete data on race and were kept in a format that made analyzing them “laborious at best.”
Because of deficiencies in Columbus police’s use-of-force reporting, the department “cannot definitively say it is doing its job particularly well, nor can it identify any underlying problems that may exist,” the Justice Department wrote in an Aug. 9 report.
The report follows a 2021 request from Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther that the Department of Justice investigate Columbus Police Department practices and policies, particularly with regard to racial bias.
The investigation, conducted by the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and Baltimore-based consulting firm Jensen Hughes, found “no glaring evidence that excessive use of force occurs at unusual rates in Columbus.”
But the Justice Department found that the agency does not consider race in all incidents in which police use force to subdue suspects, instead relying on an outdated system in which officers submit written reports that are hand-delivered throughout the agency.
“It appears that they have historically operated in a culture that has been extremely resistant to change, despite efforts by many to advocate for modernization of systems, technologies and operating practices,” the Justice Department wrote.
The DOJ and Jensen Hughes’ team reviewed the department’s policies, practices and training and conducted interviews and focus groups with local law enforcement officials and community members.
What the US Department of Justice’s analysis of the use of force revealed
Analyzing agency use-of-force reports for 2022, the review found that officers used force against black people more often than white people and arrested black people more often.
The Justice Department said it was not clear whether this disparity in arrests fully explains the increased use of force because data was insufficient.
It is also not clear whether blacks are arrested more often than whites by the police due to racial prejudice, the Justice Department said.
While blacks and African Americans made up 29.1% of Columbus’ population in 2022, 53% of recorded uses of force were directed against blacks or African Americans, the report said. Whites made up 54.9% of Columbus’ population and only 29% of use of force incidents.
However, the frequency with which Columbus police used force against black and white arrestees was almost identical: force was used in 1.7% of arrests of blacks and in 1.6% of arrests of whites.
Incomplete breed data
Columbus police divide their use-of-force reports into eight levels. Only levels 2 through 8 are prosecuted, the Justice Department said. Level 2 includes the use of chemical sprays, stun guns or batons, and level 8 represents deadly use of force.
The Department does not collect racial data in connection with Level 1 uses of force.
The Department of Justice recommended that Columbus police begin prosecuting such Level 1 uses of force, which include wrestling a person down, pointing a weapon or using pressure point techniques to compel a person to cooperate.
These incidents account for 81 percent of the agency’s use of force and most likely show racial disparities, according to the Justice Department.
To get a complete picture of racial disparities, Columbus police must monitor all levels, the Justice Department said.
Columbus Police Use Paper Reports Instead of Digital Records
The Justice Department also said the agency currently uses paper reports of use of force that are hand-delivered to other employees. That process is slow and prone to human error, the Justice Department wrote. It also makes analyzing the reports “tedious at best,” the Justice Department wrote.
Ideally, reports should be tracked digitally and in real time to identify problems as early as possible, the Justice Department said.
De-escalation skills
The review also raised concerns about inadequate communication from officers and recommended training in areas such as effective communication, trauma-informed interviewing and, particularly, de-escalation.
In addition, the Justice Department stated that when reviewing officers’ use of force, the agency may also review body-worn camera footage to ensure that officers communicated appropriately verbally before using force.
The Justice Department has identified a case where body-worn camera footage was not reviewed – an officer used pepper spray on a crowd, which could be a policy violation.
There is no way to determine whether the use of force was justified because the officers were on a special mission and were not wearing body cameras, the Justice Department said.
On special assignments, officers work in their Columbus police uniforms as security guards and in similar jobs but are paid by other employers. The department does not require officers on special assignments to wear body cameras because resources are scarce, the Justice Department said.
To prevent such situations, the Department of Justice recommended that the Department explore funding options to make it financially viable for all officers to wear body-worn cameras during special operations, or to require at least one officer to use a body-worn camera when chemical spray is used.
How did the officials react?
In a brief statement, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said city staff had received the report and “look forward to analyzing the results.”
“We have remained steadfast in our commitment to build on the reforms and many successes of the Columbus Division of Police,” Ginther said. “That is why we have asked the Department of Justice to conduct an in-depth review of the division, including its use of force policies and practices.”
Brian Steel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, said in a statement that the report shows that Columbus police “get it right most of the time” and that the majority of CPD policies, procedures and protocols meet law enforcement industry standards. He said it was not surprising that the review found no evidence of widespread officer misconduct.
“CPD officers are among the best in their profession,” Steel said. “As I said, misconduct cannot be found where it does not exist, nor can it be hidden where it does exist.”
