civilian review board

The city of Columbus has accepted the recommendations of a working grouped tasked with structuring the voter-approved Civilian Review Board, which will be tasked with providing independent oversight of the Columbus Division of Police.

This past weekend’s protests over the fatal shooting of Casey Goodson Jr. by a Franklin County Sheriff’s deputy comes at a critical junction for reforms to local policing.

Columbus residents voted overwhelmingly last week to add more oversight of police. Issue 2, which passed with about 74% of the vote, creates a new Civilian Review Board and an inspector general for the Columbus Division of Police. 

Newly elected Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack says the first item on his agenda is diversifying the staff within prosecutor's office.

Columbus voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to amend the city’s charter to enable a civilian review board.

It is the only large metropolitan area in the country without one. But not all civilian review boards are the same.

The killing of Minneapolis man George Floyd in May sparked protests across the nation. Since his death, there’s been a stream of Columbus demonstrations demanding police reform. 

As Columbus leaders turn to voters to approve police oversight measures, Reynoldsburg city officials and the local police union have reached an agreement in principle for a new Civilian Review Board. 

Columbus voters will have a chance to weigh in on police oversight in November. City leaders on Monday announced a charter amendment that would create a Civilian Review Board, a major goal of police reformers.

The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis Police officer sparked protests across the world and calls for change in police practices. Some activists are calling for severe measures such as defunding or abolishing police departments, while lawmakers are seeking more incremental reforms.