COLUMBUS (AP) - A thorough research-based review will be conducted to evaluate Columbus’ preparedness, communication and response to protests, according to City Attorney Zach Klein.
The review will be similar to those conducted in cities like Charlottesville, Virginia, following the death a counterprotester in 2017, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Klein said that the review will be lead by Carter Stewart, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, with the assistance of the John Glenn College and will be funded mostly by the police division’s drug seizure account. The review will cost $250,000, with about $49,000 coming from the city’s general fund and over $200,000 from the seizure account.
“It’s a process where businesses, protesters, police all could look at the report and see that it was done truly independently and objectively so the city could move forward post-protest,” Klein said.
The review will examine the cities preparation for protests like those that began on May 28 following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died while in Minneapolis police custody.
The review will be submitted to City Council by the end of the year.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.