COLUMBUS, Ohio — City leaders have maintained the Short North neighborhood is a safe place to do business and enjoy nightlife following the mass shooting two weeks ago. Recently released body camera video shows that sentiment isn’t shared by all the officers who work the neighborhood.
In the days following the June 23 mass shooting on North High Street, Mayor Andrew Ginther and Assistant Chief LaShanna Potts made statements assuring people the Short North was safe to spend time in.
The Columbus Division of Police released body camera video of the night on Sunday. It gave more perspective into what happened that night and the chaos that followed. At least two officers are heard contradicting these opinions of safety.
“Just another night in the Short North,” said one officer as he dropped a victim off at the hospital.
“Why were they even shooting?” asked two women to one of the responding officers. He responds, “Because it’s the Short North. This happens all the time. You can’t f------ come down here like this is some great place to be.”
10TV took these comments to the city, asking the Mayor’s office and Columbus police about what leadership thought about what these two officers who were working the neighborhood that night felt about the safety there.
Mayor Ginther’s office responded in writing.
“The City has invested half a million dollars for safety and security measures in the Short North. That's on top of millions of dollars invested in summer youth programming, the office of violence prevention and technology to assist law enforcement when it comes to combating violent crime. While these incidents are outrageous and frustrating, the numbers show that crime has decreased in the Short North and all over the city. What we have is a gun problem. There needs to be a greater focus on accountability at the state level when it comes to gun crimes.”
In recent years, Columbus has spent millions on safety initiatives. The city spent a half million dollars last year improving security in the Short North following the 2023 mass shooting. The same year also saw $2 million for “Operation Moonlight,” an effort to place 40 officers in high visibility areas. That effort continued this year.