Columbus Police Department has a desperate need for community input to help move forward on several pending homicide cases.

Police Chief Oscar Lewis and Capt. Brent Swan held a press conference Thursday afternoon in the CPD Command Center to appeal to the public to step forward with information.

“We are working very diligently to solve these crimes,” Lewis said. “But we can’t do it alone. W need the community’s help. We know there are witnesses who have seen things who won’t come forward that have not come forward at this point. I plead to you guys–come forward with the information that you have.”

Columbus has had eight homicides so far this year. Swan said four of those cases — the most recent of which is of Dshawn Dee Boyd, who was found dead from gunshot wounds near a burned vehicle early Monday morning — remain unsolved.

It can be hard to pin a common thread from case to case, as Swan pointed out that each case has its own character. However, he noted drugs are an underlying factor in most crimes CPD investigates.

Swan noted that just because an arrest hasn’t been made does not mean a case isn’t progressing. For the Boyd case, Swan said investigators have been working closely with the victim’s mother but, as with other cases, they need more information to help solidify the case.

“At the end of the day, what we have to look at is a case that we can prove,” Swan said. “Our burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Some of these cases, I could probably charge somebody right now, but could we win it in court? Possibly not,” Swan continued.

There are several pending cases, Swan said, where investigators know there are people who can offer information. He said police have talked to some of those people, but have so far been unable to gather needed statements to make arrests.

“That’s one thing that we’re battling — we’re trying to get them to take their communities back along with our help,” he said. “We can help you do that if you’ll step forward and let us.”

Cases can drag out without needed input from the community. Still, even if people don’t come forward quickly, Swan said homicide cases always remain active.

“We’re always actively working those,” he said. “I’ve got information on cases 10 years old where someone will just come in, and that helps put together the piece of the puzzle that we needed.”

Fear of coming forward

Lewis acknowledged that people who make statements might have to appear before a court to give testimony during criminal trials. He noted people might be hesitant to come forward with information for fear of what might happen to them.

But Lewis argued that it would do more good for the community for people to tell police what they know rather than withhold information that allows more crime to happen.

“There definitely is that fear, and I don’t know how you get past it,” he said. “I know it doesn’t help the investigation or doesn’t help bring these people to justice if we’re withholding this information or afraid to come forward with it. But what’s the next situation that comes up if you haven’t said anything that might catch you up in it anyway?”

Even when violence has already caught up with them, some citizens still remain silent, according to Swan.

“We have gunshot victims many times that will go to the hospital, and that gunshot victim will not cooperate with us — even telling us what happened, where it happened or any of the evidence that goes along with it,” he said.

Trust deficit

The Oct. 16, 2015, fatal police-involved shooting of Ricky Ball rocked the community’s relationship with CPD. Heightened attention on police shootings and reports of excessive use of force across the nation have generally increased tensions between some communities and police departments across the nation.

Lewis acknowledged trust issues do exist between the community and police and said CPD must work to continue improving its relationship with Columbus’ residents. However, he said he doesn’t think that necessarily relates directly to CPD’s issues with gathering information from witnesses.

“The trust issue is a different issue when it comes to the police department,” Lewis said. “That’s one thing. But when it comes to the crime that’s being committed in your community, it’s about wanting to make a difference in your community. They’re not shooting at the police yet, thank God.”

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.