COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Police currently has about 1,800 officers on the streets which is about 180 less than they are budgeted.
One way the city is working to help bolster staffing levels is to accept transfers from other departments. A class of 10 laterals graduated from a shortened academy program last week.
Some who pushed for police reform are questioning the quality of those officers. We received questions about their backgrounds, if they should have been hired.
“We need the best, brightest. We need those who are committed to protecting and serving to be our leaders,” Rev. Tim Ahrens said.
Ahrens is a member of the Area Religious Commissioners (ARC) and has pushed for police reform.
“Do I want, going into difficult life-threatening situations, do I want on my shoulder someone I can trust or someone I have serious questions about?” Ahrens said.
As a part of the application process, the lateral transfers are asked about criminal or questionable activity in their past and incidents they have been reprimanded for.
As a sworn police officer, one admitted they had been arrested for shoplifting. One had not had a valid driver's license for a period time while in a department.
Another admitted to work-related discipline for an incident in 1999 involving a prostitute while serving overseas.
Another admitted to not paying federal taxes for three years and also experimenting with marijuana after graduating from the academy to "see what it was like."
“I have some real concerns about this and I think city leaders need to have real concern about it too,” Ahrens said.
CrimeTracker 10 asked Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther if those hires were the kind he wants representing the city.
“There are already officers on our streets now who have had similar types of things. We have asked folks to disclose them and they go through an extensive background process," he said.
According to the civil service standards, none of those are disqualifying incidents. The Columbus Public Safety Director's Office is responsible for hiring officers.
Director Robert Clark says the officers should not be disqualified for those incidents.
"Our background qualifications standards have changed. We certainly are looking at things in context." he said.
Clark said officers go through a series of background checks, including polygraph tests to make sure they are fit for the job.
“By the time they come to my attention in the director's office, I look at the entire package, the entire story," he said. "We recognize that we are in the business of recruiting human beings to come and work for our division of police and serve our great city. With that will come some challenges."
Ahrens explains he's in the redemption business, but adds this isn't what he sees for the future of the department.
“No, it's not reform that we are looking for. We can do better. We've worked too long, too hard as a community at this,” Ahrens said.
CrimeTracker 10 reached out to several police departments in the area and none of the command staff said they would hire the lateral transfers with those issues in their backgrounds.
The next lateral class is expected early next year.