City Manager reacts to FOP statement at Columbus council meeting
The City Council meeting ended in an argument between the city manager and city council member after the FOP President stood up for hardworking officers of Columbus Police.
Mayor Skip Henderson addressed the public as the business agenda ended and the public agenda began. The public agenda had two members of the second largest city in Georgia – one of which was Columbus Fraternal Order of Police President Ralph Dowe.
Ralph Dowe walked up to the podium and began his allowed 5 minute discussion to all members of the city council.
Dowe, who spoke on the behalf of members of Columbus Police, began his statement by commenting that the community and police department are in a crisis, while adding the department has had the lowest morale authorities have seen in decades of service.
In 2021, the police department lost 95 officers – 87 resigned and 8 retired – and according to calculations that’s nearly two per week, with the resignation rate being 112%. In the first 7 weeks of the new year, the department has lost 16 officers and 3 pending resignations. Dowe says, “If this trend continues we will lose 120 officers this year.”
Across the nation, departments have seen an increase in losing officers due to the events involving police officers over the two years, but Columbus Police has seen officers leaving and going to other departments nearby. Dowe added, “If officials stop the losses today, the department can only train 50 officers per year, therefore we are 3 years away from rebuilding the department.”
Crime was on an increase in 2021 with there being 182 people shot and 72 killed by homicide-related incidents. Murder-related crimes increased by 50%, aggravated assaults increased by 81%, traffic fatalities increased by 57%.
“Officers are tired from working extended shifts, discouraged from watching officers leave, and upset from seeing people get robbed, shot, and killed on the streets,” Dowe made very clear to council.
Dowe also conducted a survey with 230 officers – which is 73% of the FOP.
The poll represents 95% of the officers in the FOP lodge.
The first question: Do you believe the police department is presently staffed with a number of officers to provide citizens a level of service they deserve? 99% answered NO.
The second question: Do you feel there are enough officers on the streets to provide adequate backup for officer safety? 99% answered NO.
The third question: Do you think issuing principal summons in the jail releasing inmates on OR bonds is the reason for the increase in crime? 95.8% answered YES.
The fourth question: Under the current leadership, do you think the department has become more reactive than proactive? 95.8% answered YES.
The fifth question: If yes, do you think this has contributed to the increase in crime? 94.7% answered YES.
The sixth question: Do you think there is good communication between the chief’s office and the rest of the department? 93% answered NO.
The seventh question: Do you have confidence in Chief Freddie Blackmon to lead the Columbus Police Department in a manner that provides fair treatment of officers, officers safety, and to reduce crime in the city? 5% answered YES, 8.3% answered UNDECIDED, 2.3% DECLINED to comment, and 84% answered NO.
Dowe urgently requested city council to take action now due to what officers on the street and community members have to deal with day in and day out. “The public deserves more than a skeleton crew of police that can only run from call-to-call,” he added. “Our community deserves a department that actively patrols the city to prevent crime.”
The amount of vacancies at the department is 174, Dowe finally said as his 5-minutes were done.
Mayor Skip Henderson then had his time to respond. Henderson’s response only contained his problem with the process of him not being able to have time to see the book and information, but sources say he has been told for months about this and chose to ignore the Fraternal Order of Police. Henderson then moved to City Manager Isaiah Hugley, where he turned the FOP’s statement into a race issue because he felt the second African American Police Chief Freddie Blackmon was being disrespected. Hugley was disgusted with how the FOP disrespected Blackmon, so he began to show a presentation about African American officials “that could have been shown by the FOP”. The slideshow was applauded when throughout as well
The slideshow also contained pictures and information about Columbus’ first African American policemen and a news article from when 8 police officers were suspended in 1971 after one failed to testify at the trial and was arrested –which caused the 8 officers to rip the American flag off their uniform.
At the end of the slideshow, Hugley requested to show the vacancies throughout the government.
Mayor Henderson noticed Councilor Thomas requesting to speak which led her to request that the conversation be ended and “if there were issues they need to take up with the FOP, the police chief or the sheriff then we do that and then come back to council for approval and I believe the conversation we are having right now in response to the FOP President is wrong.” Thomas had a few other words, including that “the content may be right, but the discussion is not part of the public agenda.”
Hugley then fired back by saying, “well.. Mr. Mayor this is not about the FOP it is about the vacancies.”
Thomas responds, “If the FOP President had not been here tonight would you have shown the vacancy rate?”
Hugley then fires back once again saying, “well, and I much rather he had not been here.”
Mayor Henderson ended the conversation on Isaiah’s side of things saying, “It was not about anyone’s appearance and it was about the services in the city.
The public agenda meeting ended and community members of Columbus left their seats and headed out.
So far this year in crime, there have been 6 homicides and 33 people have been shot.
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