Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther has announced his appointments for the new Civilian Police Review Board on Wednesday.
The board, which will provide civilian oversite of police for the first time in the city’s history, will appoint the first Inspector General for the Columbus Division of Police.
The city says they will support the position with professional staff to conduct independent investigations into police misconduct.
These appointments will be advanced to the Columbus City Council for approval:
- Mark Fluharty, Executive Director of Central Ohio Labor Council
- Dr. Chenelle Jones, Assistant Dean/Chair of Public Safety Programs, Franklin University, member of Columbus Community Safety Advisory Commission
- Willard McIntosh, retired Columbus Division of Police officer
- Pastor Rich Nathan, Vineyard Columbus
- Kyle Strickland, attorney, Kirwan Institute For The Study Of Race And Ethnicity at the Ohio State University; Deputy Director of Race and Democracy, The Roosevelt Institute
- Randall Sistrunk, Director of Business Development, Orange Barrel Media, member of Chief’s Advisory Panel
- Rev. Charles Tatum, the Good Shepherd Baptist Church
- Mary Younger, former Franklin County Public Defender
- Janet Jackson, former city attorney and Franklin County municipal judge, chair of Columbus Community Safety Advisory Commission
After the protests last summer, Ginther said it was a priority to form an independent board that will oversee the police. In November, voters approved a change to the city's charter to add the board.
“The purpose of the board is to help restore trust between the community and police. For too long, the police have operated solely on their own with no opportunity for community oversite,” Ginther said. “This Board allows for independent investigations – and review of internal investigations – as well as recommendations for discipline and policy changes outside the chain of command.”
The city said they reviewed more than 200 applications for the board and conducted more than 20 interviews with finalists.
Ginther asked Jackson to serve as chair of the board.
“The overarching goal of the board is to help restore trust in police by providing transparent investigations and holding officers who have done wrong accountable,” Jackson said. “Resident votes in favor of the Board last November spoke volumes. And we -- just like the Division of Police -- are here to serve them.”
There is still a question of what authority the board will have.
Ginther has said he wants the board to have subpoena and disciplinary power, but that cannot happen until the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police is changed.
“We've asked for fairness from the go. We want to be treated fairly and we want these people to be trained and understand policing,” Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #9 President Keith Ferrell said.