Trending Topics

Ohio police union: New policies endanger officers

Policies limiting the use of pepper spray and banning tear gas have left officers with very few options to disperse large crowds

columbusunion_61920_news.jpg

Keith Ferrell, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, speaks at a news conference.

Photo/TNS

Bethany Bruner
The Columbus Dispatch

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The local Fraternal Order of Police says Columbus police officers and the public are being endangered by new policies from Mayor Andrew J. Ginther that limit what tools officers have available to them.

The concern comes after Ginther issued a directive Tuesday barring police from using tear gas and other chemical agents on peaceful protesters. Ginther also limited the use of pepper spray to instances where there was clear violence.

Keith Ferrell, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, said at a news conference Thursday that Ginther’s directive leaves officers very few options to disperse a large crowd.

He said if a crowd of several thousand gathers and blocks traffic — as they did in the first days of the protests following the May 25 death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, it can prevent officers from responding to emergencies or even assisting protesters in the event of a medical emergency.

Ferrell said the mayor’s directive, along with other statements seen by many rank-and-file officers as politicizing policing, has left officers frustrated and feeling like they are being set up by Ginther and other city leaders to look bad when they do have to use force to defend themselves or divert traffic.

“No alternatives have been given,” Ferrell said. “I’ve been told there have been deputy chiefs even who have asked for other alternatives and clarifications.”

He said officers have been told to stand down and do nothing when they see protesters in the street, surrounding cars and jumping on them. The mayor’s office has disputed that.

The lodge issued a statement on YouTube Thursday afternoon with photographs and videos of destruction throughout Columbus during the protests with a plea for the community to come together and support each other and the officers who are trying to protect the public’s First Amendment right to protest.

Both tear gas and pepper spray were used during the first days of protests in Downtown Columbus in late May and early June, causing public outcry. Among those expressing concern were City Council President Shannon Hardin and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Jefferson Township, who were among a crowd sprayed by police on May 30 along Broad and High streets.

Ferrell said police have few practical options for breaking up a crowd when a portion of that crowd becomes violent.

“How do I stop those 500 people in the middle of the 2,000?” he said. “There’s not a realistic answer.”

Ferrell said the union is open to change and officers will follow whatever directives they’re given, as long as it is clear what is expected of them.

Ginther’s directives on tear gas and pepper spray came as rumors continue to circulate surrounding the death of Ohio State University graduate Sarah Grossman, 22, who died several days after attending a protest.

Activist groups have claimed Grossman died as a result of being pepper sprayed, citing unverified claims of allergies and pre-existing medical conditions.

However, Grossman’s father has issued a public statement denying pepper spray, asthma or allergies contributed to his daughter’s death. He has also denied that her death was due to an accidental drug overdose, as previously indicated by preliminary autopsy results from the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

Grossman’s official cause of death is still pending a final autopsy report, which can take as many as eight to 10 weeks to complete.

Ferrell said other plans announced by Ginther, such as the creation of a panel of 14 people who would provide recommendations to police Chief Thomas Quinlan, and that a citizen review board would be instituted in the city, are good talking points. However, he said they may not be effective in the long-term.

“It’s irresponsible not to have someone with law enforcement perspective on those boards,” he said. “It’s important to have the public’s perspective, but to not include law enforcement is a mistake.”

Ferrell also said cities with review boards are not immune from unrest or discord, citing Minneapolis and Los Angeles as examples.

He said other law enforcement agencies throughout the county are watching what Columbus does, as it will likely trickle down to their departments in the future

And while other cities, such as Atlanta, are seeing significant numbers of officers calling in sick, Ferrell said he and the FOP are discouraging that.

“Even when officers are being villainized, they’re still coming in to work,” he said. “We can’t leave the citizens hanging.”

There are officers who are looking into early retirement options, Ferrell said, but the number of officers who will retire won’t be known for several weeks.

The union’s contract with the city expires in December. Ferrell said since the protests began he has only had one conversation with Ginther or anyone from the mayor’s office and that conversation did not include an offer by the mayor to begin negotiations early.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU