With the resignation of Tony Carleton as Columbus Police Chief on Nov. 1, the city will be seeking its fourth “top cop” in eight years, hardly a testament to stability within the department.
This week, the city revealed a general plan for choosing the new chief. The city will conduct a national search and will accept applications for 30 days, beginning Friday and ending Dec. 14.
At that point, a committee made up of city officials and residents will narrow the applicants to three-to-five finalists. Mayor Robert Smith said whether the final interviews will be conducted publicly has yet to be decided.
In the wake of the Oct. 16 officer-involved shooting that claimed the life of Ricky Ball and the investigation of the shooting that promises to extend well into next year, we argue for as open a process as possible.
The deep wounds of confusion and mistrust that exists between much of the city’s black community and the police department will not be healed quickly. Certainly, the city’s choice of a police chief will have an impact on how quickly confidence and trust can be restored.
That is why conducting this search in as open a means as possible is of critical importance.
That is also why we also recommend another component to the search that city officials apparently have not considered.
We believe that before the search committee begins winnowing out applicants, the city should hold a public hearing, perhaps at the Trotter Center, to listen to what citizens have to say about what they want/expect from a new chief.
Such a forum will help inform the choices the committee will make and will provide an opportunity for all citizens to express their views, ask questions and hear from city leaders about what they feel are the most important qualifications for this position.
If citizens feel as though they are part of the process, they are likely to have more confidence in the process as it moves forward.
When Smith held a neighborhood meeting at Hunt on Nov. 2 to allow citizens to speak, listen and ask questions about the Ball shooting, it helped calm fears, diffuse anger. Certainly, fear and anger persist, but the mayor’s willingness to engage citizens helped reduce tensions.
Similarly, we feel holding a public hearing at the start of the search process will send a message that the city wants its residents to be involved in this search.
A public hearing at the start of the process will be seen as a good-faith demonstration that city officials care what citizens have to say about this important decision.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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