Columbus One of Four Major Cities with a Decrease in Violent Crime
Columbus Division of Police Chief Kim Jacobs attended the
Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) annual gathering in Chicago earlier this
month. During this year’s conference, the MCCA issued their Violent Crime
Survey, comparing violent crimes in major cities through the first 9 months of
this year to the same timeframe in 2014.
This report confirmed that Columbus has made significant
strides towards decreasing violent crime and making neighborhoods safer, while
at the same time reducing all use of force categories and citizen complaints.
“I am very proud that Columbus is one of only four
major cities with a decrease in violent crime. We have also seen a
reduction in use of force and complaints, as well. I’m very proud of these
trends. Violent crime reduction and our decrease in use of force and citizen
complaints is a direct result of many of our initiatives to curb violent crime
and as well as the community partnerships and engagements we have formed,” said
Mayor Michael B. Coleman.
While the homicide rate has remained stagnant, all other
violent crime categories, including rape, robbery, aggravated assault and
non-fatal shootings, have seen a decrease compared to 2014. Beyond the
crime statistics, further analysis of use-of-force instances and
police-community relations in Columbus shows very positive trends. Between 2013
and 2014, all use of force categories, including physical strikes and use of
firearms, mace, and tasers, showed reductions. Citizen complaints also reached
a ten year low in 2014.
“Columbus officers work every day on building trust in
the community through conversations and constitutional policing, focusing on
patrol work and investigative work, and addressing trends and patterns quickly
and effectively,” said Chief Jacobs. “Every day, they remove guns safely off
the street which get processed for evidence and involvement in other crimes.
This investigative work involves all of our personnel, holds people accountable
and saves lives.”
“The Division of Police are working to proactively
fight crime in Columbus. It is clear that the initiatives created by the
Administration and implemented by Chief Jacobs and the Public Safety
Department, such as the Community Listening Tour and the Summer Safety
Initiative, along with superior training and leadership throughout the Division
of Police, have decreased criminal activity and increased safety for our
residents,” said City Council President Andrew J. Ginther.