The special operations group review committee on Wednesday agreed on a number of recommendations — mainly harsher penalties for police officers who violate department policy — that will be presented to the Columbus City Council next week.
The committee — tasked with reviewing stops, arrests and practices of the now-disbanded Columbus Police Department special operations group — met for three and a half hours in the Municipal Complex. The committee, which is comprised of several councilmen and members of the public, spent roughly an hour and a half in executive session to review video footage.
The city council formed the committee in the wake of the police-involved shooting death of Columbus resident Ricky Ball on Oct. 16.
Since Ball’s death, former police chief Tony Carleton has resigned, one officer involved in the incident has been fired and two others have been suspended. Meanwhile, state officials continue to investigate the circumstances around the 26-year-old’s death. The three officers present the night Ball was shot were part of CPD’s special operations group, or SOG.
The committee will present recommendations to the council during Tuesday’s meeting.
Recommendation details
Several of the committee’s recommendations focus on stiffening disciplinary measures for officers who violate CPD’s body camera policy. Under that policy, officers are required to activate their cameras for any interactions with the public, regardless of subject.
None of the officers involved in the Ball incident activated their cameras before or during the shooting.
As of a late November revision of the policy, officers who violate the policy are may be suspended without pay for three days or demoted.
The committee agreed to recommend a 10-day suspension without pay for a first offense; a 30-day suspension or termination for a second offense; and termination for a third offense.
Throughout the discussion, committee members reaffirmed that body cameras are an extremely important issue facing the department.
“With the state of where we are in this country, the cameras play an important part not only for the police department, but the citizens,” said committee member and Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem. “I think we strongly need to look at the disciplinary actions for not having that piece of equipment on. I think the camera is just as important as having your revolver, your Taser or your radio.”
CPD Interim Chief Fred Shelton said it’s vital for officers to record interactions with people because it removes any guesswork from potentially-controversial situations.
“In an ideal situation, we want to be able to take the guesswork out of it,” Shelton said. “The officer either followed the policy or didn’t follow the policy. If he followed the policy, it resolves the issue a lot faster. In the other shootings they had with the video being displayed to the public, it actually resolved what happened and appropriate action was taken.”
Unauthorized CPD passengers addressed
The committee also agreed to recommend harsher disciplinary measures for officers who have unauthorized passengers in their cars. The committee will recommend a five-day suspension for a first offense; 10-day suspension for a second offense; and termination for a third offense.
Kamal Karriem, another committee member, also suggested keeping some form of the committee in place as citizen oversight for CPD. He said the members don’t have to remain the same as the SOG review committee, but keeping the idea of the committee in place could prove beneficial in the long-term.
“I think that it would promote trust in the community,” he said. “Given everything that’s going on around the country and general displaced trust of police in the public, I think it would help Columbus if it stayed in place.”
Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner suggested that the oversight committee could play a role in reviewing complaints, and committee member Berry Hinds added that the committee could conduct periodic audits on officer training and department standard operating procedure.
SOG details
Carleton introduced the SOG in March.
At the time, he said the group would conduct foot patrols in neighborhoods with higher crime volume, such as those surrounding Sim Scott Park, meet with residents and stay on top of “quality of life” issues. He said each of the four officers would have a cell phone residents could call anonymously if they see suspicious behavior, rather than call 911 and leave their names. Those numbers were available upon request, Carleton said, and should remove residents’ fear of reprisal for reporting suspicious or criminal activity.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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