Homicides take big drop in city

Trend also being seen nationally, but why is a mystery

Friday,  January 1, 2010 - 3:16 AM

By Theodore Decker

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The number of homicides in Columbus dropped 25 percent last year after spiking in 2008.  As of last night, the city was expected to close out 2009 with 83 homicides, 27 fewer than in 2008, according to records kept by police and The Dispatch.  In 2007, 79 people were slain in Columbus.

 

GRAPH OF HOMICIDES IN COLUMBUS FROM 2004 TO 2009

 

Full story at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/01/copy/HOMI2009.ART_ART_01-01-10_A4_65G5U5P.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

You guys might enjoy this story...

 

City unfairly targets Club Ice, owner says

 

Soon after the New Year's Eve party at Club Ice ended, the gunfire began.  Three people were shot about 3 a.m. on New Year's Day in a parking lot outside the Downtown club at 40 E. Long Street.  Police arrested a 20-year-old East Side man and charged him with four counts of felonious assault.  The violence occurred less than a month after Columbus officials notified the owner of the club that they had asked the Ohio Division of Liquor Control to revoke its liquor license.

 

Club Ice is one of 13 clubs, bars and carryouts that the city wants to have stripped of their liquor licenses.  Last year, police went to the club 111 times on calls that included a shooting, five reports of patrons with guns and four assaults.  That was the second-highest number of police runs on the city's liquor-license hit list; the East Side's Aruba Club was the destination of 138 runs.  No other Downtown club was on the city's latest list.

 

But here's the really fun part...

 

About 5,600 people call Downtown home, including Mayor Michael B. Coleman, who recently moved to the Sixty Spring building.  That complex, residents say, was struck by a bullet after a fight spilled out of Club Ice last summer.

 

For any aspiring club owners out there, try not let your clientele shoot up the building where the mayor lives.  It's bad for business!

Aruba? The one in the nearly empty strip mall south of Eastland with the old Big Bear and Central Hardware? Sounds like a happenin' place! Almost as awesome as the Aquarium Lounge in the old Denny's in front of the old Kids 'R Us, Chuck E. Cheese and AMC 8 that they just tore down -- just north of the Olive Garden on S. Hamilton. It also sees lots of gunplay.

 

I didn't know that the mayor left Berwick. Isn't

I didn't know that the mayor left Berwick.

 

Mayor Coleman and his wife announced they are divorcing in October 2009.  Here's the old article from the Dispatch: Mayor Coleman and wife plan divorce

 

This is the first I've heard that he moved downtown to the Sixty Spring Condos.  Looks like his wife is getting the Berwick House.

Columbus police chief wants to adjust patrols

Union might file grievance

Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 11:17 PM

By John Futty, The Columbus Dispatch

 

The Columbus police chief unveiled a plan today to reorganize the city's patrol officers for the first time in nearly two decades.  "We need to be more efficient with the people we have," Chief Walter Distelzweig said.  The head of the local police union immediately expressed concerns about the plan, saying that redeploying officers appears to violate the union contract.

 

Distelzweig announced his goal of reorganizing the patrol bureau when he took over as chief in March.  About 900 of the Police Division's 1,800 sworn officers are assigned to patrol, he said.  The plan was based in large part on a review of calls for service, by day of the week and time of day, in each precinct.  For instance, the review determined that more officers are needed on Fridays and Saturdays, which means that fewer officers will have those days off, the chief said. 

 

Division leaders also considered input from the public at a series of community meetings last year.  Feedback persuaded Distelzweig to keep existing bicycle and walking patrols, as well as community-liaison officers assigned to each precinct.  The plan includes splitting two big precincts, the 18th on the North Side and the 14th on the Far East Side.  Breaking up those precincts has been talked about for years, but proposals met with resistance from Distelzweig's predecessor, James G. Jackson.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/13/police.html?sid=101

Revising police precincts stirs opposition in ranks

Sprawling districts will be broken up for better response

Saturday,  January 16, 2010 - 3:11 AM

By Theodore Decker

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

As the sprawling North Side police precinct where David Cooper has a business boomed with development, Sharon O'Brien watched her Short North neighborhood transform from "scary" to hip and healthy.  Both are eager to see what a citywide plan to reorganize Columbus patrol officers would mean for them.

 

This week, Columbus Police Chief Walter Distelzweig unveiled a sweeping proposal that he thinks will increase efficiency on the street.  The details released have drawn a range of reactions, from relief by residents in overburdened precincts to concerns among others that changes will come at their expense.  Opposition appears to be building in the rank and file.

 

Sgt. Jim Gilbert, president of Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, said more than 250 officers packed a meeting Thursday night.  He said members think the plan would violate the union contract and unnecessarily uproot officers.  The plan includes splitting two big precincts, the 18th on the North Side and the 14th on the Far East Side.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/16/redistrict.ART_ART_01-16-10_B1_JNGANPH.html?sid=101

Columbus police-reassignment plan to be delayed after court hearing

Thursday,  January 28, 2010 - 1:39 PM

By Bruce Cadwallader

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

City officials agreed today to put the first steps of a proposed police-precinct redistricting plan on hold while objections from the police union are addressed.  About 15 off-duty police officers went to the Franklin County courthouse this afternoon in an attempt to block the plan, which would reassign some patrol officers.

 

But in a closed-door meeting with Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Pat Sheeran, the Fraternal Order of Police and police brass decided to meet again on Feb. 22.  In the meantime, both sides would meet to hammer out details of the plan, which would split two of the Police Division's largest patrol precincts.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/28/fop-sues.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Retirement soon to thin city forces

Budget has too few police, fire recruits

Sunday,  January 31, 2010 - 3:35 AM

By Doug Caruso

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Columbus leaders promised last summer that, if voters approved a city income-tax increase, they'd make maintaining the city's safety forces their top priority.

 

Although the tax passed and the 2010 budget the City Council will take up Monday allocates more than 70 percent of the city's operating money to the police and fire divisions, both forces could shrink.

 

Why?  The number of new recruits to be trained won't offset those on the forces who are expected to retire.

 

Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/31/copy/Tax_and_Spend.ART_ART_01-31-10_B1_10GESFN.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Safer, or not?

A dispute between Columbus police brass and the union about a plan to reorganize patrols leaves residents to wonder

Sunday,  February 21, 2010 - 1:23 AM

By John Futty, The Columbus Dispatch

 

Three times between late November and early January, Joaquin Serantes found that vandals had smashed the side mirror on a car parked in front of his University District home.  After listening to Columbus police administrators and the police union president debate a proposal to reorganize the city's patrol officers last week, he had one question.  "How is all this haggling going to help us?"

 

Serantes was frustrated that the union and police leadership -- at odds over the plan to redeploy the city's officers -- spent more time at a University Area Commission meeting defending their positions than speaking about how the plan would affect his neighborhood.

 

The conflict will move to Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Monday for a hearing on whether the city must delay the plan while awaiting the outcome of labor grievances filed by the union.  Both sides have attended neighborhood meetings to answer questions about the proposal since Police Chief Walter Distelzweig announced it on Jan. 13.

 

MAP OF PROPOSED PRECINCTS, EXISTING PRECINCTS AND CALLS PER PRECINCT IN 2008

 

Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/21/copy/police_plan.ART_ART_02-21-10_A1_6JGL2HO.html?sid=101

Club Ice auction falls flat as bidders keep distance

Saturday,  March 6, 2010 - 2:51 AM

By Mark Ferenchik

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Club Ice was to be sold yesterday, but when the 2 p.m. sale started, auctioneer Chris Davis quickly called it off.  No bidders.  Now the owners of the controversial Downtown hip-hop club at 40 E. Long St. say they'll look for offers over the next few days.

 

Davis said he believes that potential buyers were scared away by news reports that the city was trying to shut down the club.  In December, the City Council asked the state not to renew the club's liquor license. Police last year were called to the club 111 times.  The calls included a shooting, five reports of patrons with guns and four assaults.  Three people were shot at 3 a.m. on New Year's Day in a parking lot outside the club.  A hearing before the Ohio Division of Liquor Control has been set for March 22.

 

Club Ice has been closed since January, which has pleased some Downtown officials.  "We're delighted," said Cleve Ricksecker, executive director of Downtown's Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.  "I'm hearing a collective sigh of relief."

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/06/copy/club-ice-auction-falls-flat-as-bidders-keep-distance.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

OSU to rethink 'opt in' system for crime alerts

Saturday,  March 6, 2010 2:50 AM

By Meredith Heagney

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Ohio State University has 55,000 students on its Columbus campus, but just 2,633 people-- including parents and community members -- automatically receive crime alerts from campus police.  In the wake of questions arising after two reports of sexual assault on campus this week, safety officials will take a closer look at the effectiveness of the "opt in" crime-alert system, which works via e-mail, Ohio State Deputy Police Chief Richard Morman said.

 

The crime-alert figure, which increased by 600 yesterday, does not represent all the ways that students learn about threats on campus, he said.  The crime-alerts page on the police Web site has had 5,404 hits this month, and a daily log that keeps track of all criminal reports collected nearly 53,000 hits in January.  Local media coverage helps, too, he said.

 

Yesterday, concerned about the sexual-assault reports, Vice President for Student Life Javaune Adams-Gaston e-mailed a warning to all students.  In it, she pointed out safety resources on campus.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/06/osu-to-rethink-opt-in-system-for-crime-alerts.html?sid=101

1 killed, 2 injured in Ohio State University shootings

Tuesday,  March 9, 2010 - 5:15 AM

Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - 9:16 AM

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

One person was killed and two others injured in a shooting early today on the Ohio State University campus.  The shooting occurred around 3:30 a.m. at the OSU Maintenance Building, 2000 Tuttle Park Place.  All three persons shot were university employees, according to OSU police chief Paul Denton.  None of the employees was a student.

 

One of the employees is the suspect; OSU officials would not say this morning if that person is the employee who was killed.

 

The two people injured in the shooting were transported to the OSU Medical Center, where one was in critical condition and the other in stable condition.  No names have been released.  OSU has planned a press conference for 11 a.m.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/09/1-killed-in-triple-shooting-on-osu-campus.html

2 dead, 1 injured in Ohio State University shootings

Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 11:06 AM

By Theodore Decker and Kathy Lynn Gray

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

A disgruntled Ohio State University employee shot two co-workers and then himself early this morning in a maintenance building on campus.  Larry Wallington, 48, building-services manager, was killed at the scene.  Henry Butler, 60, an operations shift leader, was taken to OSU Medical Center, where his condition is stable.

 

Custodial worker Nathaniel Brown, 51, shot Wallington and Butler before turning the gun on himself, according to OSU Police Chief Paul Denton.  Brown was dead on arrival at the OSU hospital.

 

Denton said Brown showed up at 3:30 a.m., wearing dark clothes and carrying a backpack and two guns.  Multiple shots were fired.  The first 911 call was received at 3:32 a.m. and was made by someone inside the building.  Officers arrived within two minutes of the first call, Denton said.  About six employees were in the building at the time of the shooting, but no one else was hurt.

 

MAP OF SHOOTING LOCATION

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/09/1-killed-in-triple-shooting-on-osu-campus.html?sid=101

More of the details about the OSU shooter are emerging.  Sounds like a very sad story that led up to yesterday's tragedy.

 

Janitor's desperation turns deadly at OSU:  Nathaniel Brown lashed out by killing his boss, Larry Wallington, and wounding supervisor Henry Butler Jr. before killing himself

 

---

 

In the article, there were also 2001-2008 crime stats for the OSU campus and a comparison between the OSU campus and the other 10 largest campuses in the United States.

 

LINK:  OSU Campus Crime (2001-2008)

 

LINK:  Crime On Campus - 10 Largest U.S. Campuses

Sounds like a fun morning in Whitehall!

 

$100,000 spills from armored car in Whitehall

 

More than $100,000 spilled out of the back of an armored car in Whitehall this morning, and most of the loot remains missing this afternoon.  Whitehall Sgt. Dan Kelso said a Garda armored car was driving east on E. Broad Street at 8:20 a.m. when a bag of cash somehow spilled onto the intersection at Hamilton Road.

 

"It hit the ground and split open and there was money all over the place," Kelso said.

 

Motorists stopped their cars right in the road and jumped out to stuff their pockets with cash, snarling traffic in the area, police said.  The armored-car driver didn't realize what had occurred and kept going.

 

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/03/24/cash-drop.html?sid=101

Police union plans protest over redistricting issue

Saturday,  April 3, 2010 - 2:50 AM

By Jeb Phillips and Theodore Decker

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

Members of the local police union are urging citizens to march on City Hall with them on Monday, saying their complaints about a new police redistricting plan have been ignored and morale has plummeted.  This so-called “accountability march” will “help the FOP hold our elected officials accountable,” according to a flier that union members plan to pass out at today’s Gallery Hop in the Short North. 

 

But in a letter sent to City Council President Michael C. Mentel, Sgt. Jim Gilbert, president of Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9 wrote that the union “is not asserting that City Council is responsible for the current state of affairs.” 

 

In fact, redistricting is an administrative decision that the city charter and city law leave in the hands of the police chief and public safety director.  Mentel, however, said that police union members have the same right as any member of the general public to speak before the council.  Police Chief Walter Distelzweig agreed yesterday that the redistricting plan was administrative and was confused by the contradictory flier and letter sent to Mentel. 

 

Columbus police administrators and union representatives are scheduled to meet Friday and Saturday as they arbitrate their dispute over a plan to reorganize the city’s patrol officers.

 

Full article: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/04/03/copy/police-union-plans-protest-over-redistricting-issue.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

News from E Hudson in Linden. Perhaps Columbus' ugliest urban corridor.

This doesn't help matters.

 

4 Stabbed In Fight; Transporting Medic  Involved In Hit-&-Run

By AMANDA MURPHY

Published: April 29, 2010         

Updated: April 29, 2010 - 11:54 AM     

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio  -- Four stabbing victims are transported to area hospitals after a  violent fight outside a North Side gas station, and one  of the transporting ambulances is involved in a hit-and-run crash.

 

More:http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/apr/29/4/4-stabbed-fight-transporting-medic-involved-hit-ru-ar-63702/

For any budding criminologists out there, this pdf sounds like a dream come true!

 

Seasonal and Daily Crime Patterns in Columbus

 

The sixth edition (PDF) of Community Research Partners’ Data Bytes analyzes 2009 crime data from the Columbus Division of Police by date, day of the year, and month.

 

MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/seasonal-and-daily-crime-patterns-in-columbus

Mayor unveils crime plan

Latest police effort will focus on 'hot spots' of gun violence around city

Saturday, July 24, 2010 - 2:52 AM

By Jeb Phillips, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

New police "community-response teams" will deploy to crime-ridden parts of Columbus in an attempt to quiet this summer's increasing violence, Mayor Michael B. Coleman announced yesterday.  The teams will be made up of uniformed patrol officers and members of the police gang unit and the division's Gun Violence Reduction Program.  The teams will be visible but have the ability to do intelligence-gathering, the mayor said.

 

They will focus on violent crime, guns and curfew-enforcement, Columbus Police Chief Walter Distelzweig said.  He would not release the number of officers involved, the specific tactics they will use or the "hot spots" where the teams will be sent.

 

Full article: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/24/copy/mayor-unveils-crime-plan.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Oh brother. Watch out Cleveland and Cincinnati: we're  Ohio's "most dangerous city", because every neighborhood is interchangeable. More fine reporting from NBC.

 

Columbus' 73 Homicides Tops Ohio CitiesBy                      Tom Brockman                                 

Published: August 20, 2010

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio --            Columbus is the largest city in Ohio,  but is it also the most dangerous?  City leaders are asking themselves  that question one day after a five-year-old was shot in the face.

Terrance Powell  is recovering in Nationwide Children's Hospital, but the shooting  shocked a city that has already seen 73 homicides so far in 2010 -- 20  more than this time last year.  That compares to 45 homicides in  Cleveland, 37 in Cincinnati, 25 in Dayton, 17 in Toledo and 15 in Youngstown.

"It's been almost an epidemic," said Kathleen Bailey, Chair of the Near East Area Commission.

"We do have a larger population than Cleveland and Cincinnati, so  it's not surprising that we have a higher number of homicides than those  cities, it seems that would be just the law averages, but what is surprising is that we have that many more homicides," said Justin Boggs, Safety Chair of the Greater Hilltop Area Commission.

More: http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/20/columbus-73-homicides-tops-ohio-cities-ar-201401/

 

<b>Five Neighborhoods Getting New Security Cameras</b>

By Walker | October 7, 2010 12:00pm | Filed under Development

 

<img src="http://www.columbusunderground.com/archives/security-camera.jpg">

 

A new safety camera pilot project was announced today by Columbus City Councilmember Andrew Ginther, Columbus Division of Police officials, neighborhood leaders, and Mayor Michael B. Coleman.

 

Over 40 safety cameras will be rolled out as early as next summer in areas including Weinland Park, The University District, The Hilltop, The King Lincoln District, the South Campus Gateway, Old Oaks and Ganther’s Place.

 

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/five-neighborhoods-getting-new-security-cameras

Breaking down the number of homicides in Columbus we have in the urban core vs. annexed land and exurbs yields (so far) 50 vs. 34 respectively. Contrast that to Cincinnati's and Cleveland's numbers (53 & 58)  with their populations (333,000 and 478,000) and Cleveland has quite a lower rate than the other Cs since they have about the same number of homicides as we do, but with over 150,000 more residents in their urban core. Adding together the zip code population data estimates from 2007 on city-data.com with a grain of salt (Linden likely didn't see a population increase since 2000) brings our urban population number near Cincinnati's.

 

I'm sick of all the helicopters swarming around here. It's weird when you're sitting outside at night and helicopters shine their spotlights on you as they scan the area. That's happened to me twice over the summer but helicopters in general are around here on a regular basis. If they're mostly for crime purposes, I can't imagine how much money they're wasting.

I would think having cops on foot or bikes frequenting these areas on a regular basis would be cheaper and more effective by deterring crime rather than waiting for it to occur and sending out helicopters.

The Columbus police have a serious ghetto bird fetish. Those things are so damn expensive to run (the bare minimum would be $1000 an hour but could be up to $5000 and hour), require several helicopter pilots on standby at all times and go though extensive pre- and post- flight checks. This is second hand info, but a few weeks ago someone was breaking into cars near Grandview and they sent the thing out. You hear them all the time and they make the city look bad, even though they might only be chasing a 10-year-old spraying graffiti on an underpass Every time a suburbanite or exurbanite hears those rotors spin they get a stiffy because that's not happening where they live. The police/sheriffs out there there usually only get to use their land-based transportation, the BMV system and forensic accountants to catch their criminals.

 

The sad part is that I bet a lot of these young thugs think it's really awesome that they got the police to chase them with a helicopter and will try to do it again.

OSU SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

Less crime noted in mixed-use neighborhoods

Sunday, October 17, 2010

By Mark Ferenchik, The Columbus Dispatch

 

Walkable communities that feature a mixture of houses and businesses often are promoted as the salvation of American cities.  Now, new research suggests that they also might deter violent crimes.

 

But that's only once those neighborhoods have enough street activity and enough people to keep an eye on things, said Christopher Browning, an Ohio State University sociology professor.  That's true in poorer areas as well as more well-to-do areas, he said.  "One of the assumptions is, you get a lot of people out in the street (and) that reduces crime," said Browning, whose research recently was published in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.

 

Browning and his team of researchers studied 184 Columbus census tracts, looking at the numbers of houses and businesses in each, and examining rates of homicide, robbery and aggravated assault for three years.  His team merged the violent-crime and census data with detailed tax-parcel information that describes land uses.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/17/less-crime-noted-in-mixed-use-neighborhoods.html?sid=101

^More about this study from ScienceDaily.com

 

Mixed-Use Neighborhoods Reduce Some Violent Crimes, Study Says

I thought that was already proven in numerous cases, but I guess more studies are needed? I think that theory is right on, but that it loses effectiveness once you get too many people out and about with petty crime like wallet/purse snatching since there's so much going on to distract people. Take extremely dense pedestrian areas like NYC and large European cities as examples.

 

An important question to ask is whose eyes are watching the street? If we're talking about just about any other urban commercial street aside from High in Columbus, that would mainly consist of gang members, drug dealers, prostitutes, severe alcoholics, junkies, dropouts, etc who mostly congregate around carryouts and scare off law-abiding citizens from walking on these streets, especially at night. It doesn't help that other businesses have been scared off making these areas not so mixed-use in their current state: the aforementioned streets are more like triple-use districts with: carryouts where you can get 40s, loosies, lotto tickets, etc, unremarkable fried food joints to supplement protein to the soda and snacks sold at the carryouts, and several churches that haven't done anything to improve their neighborhoods. In these cases, which can be easily witnessed from briefly visiting such streets, the opposite is true due to the makeup of the majority watching the streets.

 

The Dispatch included the new surveillance cameras in that article as if they had something to do with the study when it doesn't, since cameras just aren't interchangeable with people out on the street. I was kinda surprised that Clintonville was used as a shining example, since foot traffic is light though consistent during the day, yet virtually non-existent at night (having walked from O'Reilly's to Tee Jayes on a weekend night and biked in the area frequently you'll be lucky to see a literal handful of people on the sidewalks). The Short North has more eyes on the street at all hours including later hours, but also sees more crime like vandalism and robberies/muggings. I'd attribute that to heavy pockets of late-night foot traffic next to dead zones where pedestrians are at higher risk since they left the safety of the herd, so to speak. Think of 1st Ave to 3rd where there was not a single late-night establishment until Mouton opened recently near 1st Ave.

I thought that was already proven in numerous cases, but I guess more studies are needed? I think that theory is right on, but that it loses effectiveness once you get too many people out and about with petty crime like wallet/purse snatching since there's so much going on to distract people. Take extremely dense pedestrian areas like NYC and large European cities as examples.

 

 

I don't think Columbus has to worry about spawning a Canal St. full of tourists carrying a bunch of cash, or a crowded NYC subway. Especially if Kasich wins the election. Hehe. Heh.  :x

Dye pack and saggy pants foil bank robbery

Tuesday, November 2, 2010  05:01 PM

The Columbus Dispatch

 

A gunman's saggy pants and a bright red dye pack derailed a bank robbery this afternoon on the Southeast Side, the FBI said.

 

Shortly after 1 p.m., the gunman entered the Chase Bank branch at 1650 Lockbourne Rd. and ordered everyone inside to the floor.  The man then ordered a teller to put money into a blue bag he carried.  The teller complied, but also slipped a dye pack into the bag.

 

Impeded by his sagging pants, the robber shuffled out the door, and the dye pack then exploded into a cloud of red smoke.  The robber dropped the bag and fled.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/11/02/bandit-bungles-bank-robbery.html?sid=101

 

 

If only he had listened to General Larry Platt from American Idol!

 

Short North Posse busted

18-month probe targeted longtime gang on drug, gun, racketeering charges

Saturday, December 11, 2010 

By Theodore Decker, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

The officers of Columbus' 4th Precinct knew who they were dealing with.  They saw the same faces on the same corners, day after day, committing the same crimes and dealing the same drugs that their predecessors in the Short North Posse dealt 15 years ago.  In summer 2009, second-shift officers set out to prove what they were seeing: an orchestrated, well-oiled criminal enterprise.

 

The fruits of their 18-month effort came to light this week, with the indictments of 19 members and associates of the Short North Posse, a gang that has menaced the Weinland Park area for years.  Seven of the suspects were in custody yesterday.

 

The indictments charge the defendants with varying counts of drug trafficking and gun possession.  They accuse all the defendants with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a racketeering charge that can carry a 10-year sentence.  Fifteen of the suspects were charged with participating in a criminal gang, a felony punishable by up to eight years.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/12/11/short-north-posse-busted.html?sid=101

German Village To Launch Crime-Fighting Web Site

Saturday, December 18, 2010 - 7:48 PM

WBNS-10TV

 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — German Village is launching a new Web site to allow residents to report and track crime in their neighborhood.  The neighborhood is considered to be among the city's safest and residents want to keep it that way, 10TV's Jason Frazer reported on Saturday.

 

The Web site will be user-driven, allowing residents and business owners to post information about car break-ins, burglaries and other criminal acts.  A name for the site has not been chosen but the neighborhood association hopes to have it up and running within the next month.

 

MORE: http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/12/18/story-columbus-german-village-crime-web-site.html?sid=102

Although part of the Hilltop got highlighted as having the highest concentration at 11 it was within a tiny area bordered by W Broad, Oakley, Sullivant and Terrance. For urban areas it's no surprise to see the Near South and Linden included, while in the newer built areas they were mainly in the far east and northeast sides of town.

 

Columbus tallies 105 homicides for 2010

Saturday, January 1, 2011  02:49 AM

By Theodore Decker and Jim Woods

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

 

By the time dawn broke on the first day of 2010, Columbus already had recorded its first homicide. A man cleaning a rifle accidentally shot his brother-in-law.

 

By year's end, 104 more had followed. Although up considerably from 2009, the homicide tally is still far from the city's worst on record.

 

Sgt. Steve Little, who began supervising second-shift homicide detectives this year, was on the homicide squad in 1991, when the arrival of crack cocaine sent homicides in Columbus soaring to a record 139.

 

"It comes in cycles," he said, "and tends to spike at certain times."

 

"It's comparable to some of our busier years," Sgt. Eric Pilya, supervisor of the first-shift homicide squad, said of the 2010 total. "Last year (2009), for some reason we had a decrease. There's no way to predict these things."

 

"If you look back, the 20-year average is actually a 100 murders," said Deanna Wilkinson, an Ohio State University associate professor of human development and family science who studies youth violence.

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/01/columbus-tallies-105-homicides-for-2010.html

 

2010 Homicide Map

 

http://www.dispatch.com/live/export-content/sites/dispatch/local_news/stories/2011/01/01/homi2010-art0-gl6b4kq7-10101gfx-homis2010-map-eps-large.jpg

Jacobs becomes first woman to lead Columbus police

By Doug Caruso, The Columbus Dispatch

Friday, April 6, 2012 - 10:20 AM

 

Kimberley Jacobs said she won’t be afraid to try new ideas as Columbus’ new police chief.  ...  Jacobs, 54, has been a police officer since 1979.  She became the first woman in the division to attain the rank of commander, in 1995, and deputy chief, in 2009. 

 

As a commander, Jacobs led at different times the communication and internal-affairs bureaus and a patrol zone that included the Ohio State University campus area and the Clintonville and Linden neighborhoods.  As a deputy chief, Jacobs oversaw the administrative subdivision, which handles budgeting, personnel and other areas.  She also served as the division’s liaison to the mayor and Safety Director Mitchell J. Brown.

 

In 2010, Jacobs was architect of a redistricting plan that was designed to place officers where they were most needed.  The plan went into effect over the objection of the city’s police union in July of that year.  In October, neighborhood leaders interviewed by The Dispatch said the changes had gone smoothly and, in some cases, helped address police-coverage issues.  That was an example of the kind of leadership that led Mayor Coleman to choose Jacobs from among four deputy chiefs who applied for the job.

 

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/04/06/new-chief-in-charge.html

Notice on Columbus Underground about a newly-formed Short North Block Watch that was created to bring together residents in Italian Village, Victorian Village, Harrison West, Dennison Place, The Circles, and the High Street Business District to share information, foster collaboration, and promote safety in the surrounding neighborhoods. 

 

More about it here: New Short North Block Watch Program Promotes Safety & Collaboration

And something different from ABC 6/FOX 28 news.  ABC 6/FOX 28 is owned by the same national media group and they share their news staff and reporting teams.  Apparently, they have rented a house in the Olde Towne East neighborhood located just east of downtown.  An ABC6/FOX 28 reporter and crew have moved into the house and are doing an on-going series of reports about how Olde Towne East neighbors are fighting back against crime.  Here's the link to what they are doing:

 

ABC 6/FOX 28: Moving In and Fighting Back

 

They set up streaming video cameras that broadcast from inside and outside the house.  And the lead reporter posts a series of video reports and blogs about living there.  It's kind of like "Crime Stoppers" meets "Big Brother"!

On the focus of Columbus crime, I read the Dispatch daily on my phone; what is Columbus' average murder rate per year?  They are already at 30 this year, which seems extremely high.  Columbus is much more dangerous than I though.

Given Cbus's population, 30 is equivalent to 11 for Cincy or 15 for Ctown, on a per capita level. Just for some perspective...

 

(I know that's not exactly apples-to-apples.)

Given Cbus's population, 30 is equivalent to 11 for Cincy or 15 for Ctown, on a per capita level. Just for some perspective...

 

(I know that's not exactly apples-to-apples.)

 

I have put that into account, but most murders seem to happen in a certain section of town (the east side I believe).  Probably not a surprise to most, I just didn't think Columbus had so many murders/violent crimes.

^It could probably be made more apples-to-apples by comparing murder rates for the metro areas, maybe? Or maybe the murder rate of Hamilton County to the murder rate of Columbus, since (I think, I might be wrong) that Columbus has annexed a bunch of suburbs while Cincinnati hasn't to the same extent.

On the focus of Columbus crime, I read the Dispatch daily on my phone; what is Columbus' average murder rate per year?  They are already at 30 this year, which seems extremely high.  Columbus is much more dangerous than I though.

 

The average murder rate in recent years has been between 10 and 13 per 100,000 vs rates over 20 for both Cincy and Cleveland.  Until April, Columbus was actually running well behind last year, but now has caught up (even so, 2011 was lower than 2010).  Not sure why April's been so bad considering March had warmer weather overall and that seems to contribute, but I've noticed also that there tends to be one spring and one fall month that have high numbers and then they drop back again.

2LiveCarew, it's kind of hard because the urbanized areas are different. MSA comparison is definitely more fair, though.

 

According to this, Cincy's count is at 15 as of 4/28. Was at 30 at this point last year, 14 in 2010. Currently ahead of Columbus by the per capita metric.

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/downloads/police_pdf43999.pdf

 

I agree, though, I found out a couple years ago that Columbus was more dangerous than I had thought it was. I think the 3C's are actually quite comparable, violence-wise. Not equal, but similar. (Any attempt at ranking would start a pointless pissing contest.)

Given Cbus's population, 30 is equivalent to 11 for Cincy or 15 for Ctown, on a per capita level. Just for some perspective...

 

(I know that's not exactly apples-to-apples.)

 

I have put that into account, but most murders seem to happen in a certain section of town (the east side I believe).  Probably not a surprise to most, I just didn't think Columbus had so many murders/violent crimes.

 

Its core city is no different than the others. High crime, and high population loss.

The size of the city somewhat skews the data which makes things look better for Columbus.

 

Not really if you understand how crime rates work.  They don't particularly favor anyone. 

2LiveCarew, it's kind of hard because the urbanized areas are different. MSA comparison is definitely more fair, though.

 

According to this, Cincy's count is at 15 as of 4/28. Was at 30 at this point last year, 14 in 2010. Currently ahead of Columbus by the per capita metric.

 

https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/downloads/police_pdf43999.pdf

 

I agree, though, I found out a couple years ago that Columbus was more dangerous than I had thought it was. I think the 3C's are actually quite comparable, violence-wise. Not equal, but similar. (Any attempt at ranking would start a pointless pissing contest.)

 

Why?  Rates are calculated the same for all cities based on # of crimes and population.  All cities have certain crimes that occur more often than others.  For example, Columbus has one of the highest rates of property crime in the state, and I suspect a lot of that has to do with the younger population.  At the same time, the violent crime rate is one of the lowest in the state.  I'm not sure that this makes the city any more or less dangerous to the average person, but personally, I'd rather have my car stolen than be assaulted. 

Given Cbus's population, 30 is equivalent to 11 for Cincy or 15 for Ctown, on a per capita level. Just for some perspective...

 

(I know that's not exactly apples-to-apples.)

 

I have put that into account, but most murders seem to happen in a certain section of town (the east side I believe).  Probably not a surprise to most, I just didn't think Columbus had so many murders/violent crimes.

 

Its core city is no different than the others. High crime, and high population loss.

The size of the city somewhat skews the data which makes things look better for Columbus.

 

Not really if you understand how crime rates work.  They don't particularly favor anyone.

 

In Cincinnati is seems like crime favors african american males.  Say Cincy has 70 murders, I believe a majority of them are african american males, something like 65 of those murders.

Given Cbus's population, 30 is equivalent to 11 for Cincy or 15 for Ctown, on a per capita level. Just for some perspective...

 

(I know that's not exactly apples-to-apples.)

 

I have put that into account, but most murders seem to happen in a certain section of town (the east side I believe).  Probably not a surprise to most, I just didn't think Columbus had so many murders/violent crimes.

 

Its core city is no different than the others. High crime, and high population loss.

The size of the city somewhat skews the data which makes things look better for Columbus.

 

Not really if you understand how crime rates work.  They don't particularly favor anyone.

 

We've had this discussion many times.  I'm not sure why you choose not to understand it.  Compare the crime rate within Columbus's 1950 boundaries or compare core counties for a more apples to apples comparison.  You'll see that all 3 cities have similar crime problems.

 

In Cincinnati is seems like crime favors african american males.  Say Cincy has 70 murders, I believe a majority of them are african american males, something like 65 of those murders.

 

Is that not true in Cbus? (Or Cleveland?)

In Cincinnati is seems like crime favors african american males.  Say Cincy has 70 murders, I believe a majority of them are african american males, something like 65 of those murders.

 

Is that not true in Cbus? (Or Cleveland?)

 

Did I say it wasn't?  Must have missed that one.  I used Cincinnati as an example.

I was just wondering. I thought you might be making a distinction, which would be interesting if there were a difference.

since (I think, I might be wrong) that Columbus has annexed a bunch of suburbs while Cincinnati hasn't to the same extent.

I'm not trying to single you out 2LiveCarew (awesome screen name BTW).  But every time I see this all too common misconception from the other two C's about Columbus I just have to set the record straight.

 

Columbus never annexed any suburbs.  What Columbus did do is require any new development that wanted access to the Columbus water and sewer systems become part of the city through annexation. (i.e. no annexation / no city water or sewer service)  And that has been the City's policy since the 1950's.  Pretty simple deal.  No giving away city services at a higher rate or revenue sharing bs.  Just taking in new development (along with all the property tax revenue and the income tax revenue) instead of letting suburban municipalities get it.