Former officer speaks out against Columbus Police Department
CNAW2NEWS.com continues to cover the Columbus Police Department which is falling apart. Today, CNAW2NEWS.com reporter Colin Scroggins spoke with a former Columbus officer.
We first asked the former officer why they left the department.
They stated several reasons as to why they left, one being they were not allowed to do the job at task, as well as senior corruption.
The officer decided to leave after graduating from Supervisor 1,2,3 training to become a Sergeant. The person who ran the school at the time told CPD officials at the training that “they have a choice, and you know what things are done like there, and nothing is going to change, so you have two choices: quit b***ching about it or go make yourself happy and do what’s best for you.”
The former officer turned in his two weeks following that conversation. The former officer said in his last night on patrol, he worked 12 hours unpaid overtime on a barricaded shooter, who was firing shots are officers, but officers were not allowed to return fire.
The former officer also stated, when it comes to use of deadly force, a regular civilian has more rights than a Columbus Police Officer at this point. The officer added, “for a fact, the department will not back officers up during complaints or use of force incidents.”
When it came to hiring at the department, the officer said they made $350 dollars, while new hires were paid $600-$700 dollars, the former officer confirmed. With hiring, they continue to lower the standards. “They would hire anyone, and at one time several years ago, the department hired someone that was under investigation for bank robbery, and when they were a red shirt at training, that person was arrested on bank robbery charges.“
The conversation between CNAW and the officer then moved to the Jensen Hughes study and the police chief.
The study is point on of what’s going down at the department, the former officer began saying. As the department as been continuing to go downhill ever since, the former said, “there’s not one officer at the department, that has faith in the chief”
CNAW then asked the former officer “what is the most urgent thing that needs to be addressed first?”
The former officer’s answer was immediate: LEADERSHIP. “They do not need a chief from inside the department,” they said. “Blackmon should have been fired, and they need to fire him, because if they let him resign, he may move to another city, and f**k up that city as well, and get someone killed.”
Multiple sources also told the former officer, that Blackmon makes promoted officers sign loyalty statements to him.Blackmon and the city council knows about the problems at the Columbus Police Department, they added.
CNAW also asked the former officer about the police department and the sheriff’s office. He stated Sheriff Greg Countryman and Columbus Police Chief Freddie Blackmon have never gotten along and have been bumping heads with CPD ever since. Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is mandated to run the jail and provide security for the courthouse, while the police department is mandated to answer 911 calls. With all the officers leaving, the former officer believes the police department will fold into Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, and when that happens, the former officer stated, “they can not let Countryman run it, because he is power hungry and wants to be in charge, just like Blackmon.”
We also asked the former officer about the debacle at the sally port, and the former officer said that is “when eyes SHOULD HAVE opened up.” Our conversation also revealed that everyone at the police department feels like Columbus doesn’t have their back.
We also conversed about the numbers of patrol officers working on the streets, as well as the other issues.
The former officer told CNAW that there used to be 48 officers for 36 beats but now one shift only consist of 12 officers for 26 beats. There is now 18 detectives/investigators working at the department, the former officer added.
“There is no rule of law in Columbus,” they added. “It’s Gotham City with no batman”.
If you are a former officer or a current officer at the police department, and want to speak about problems that the department is facing, contact us at [email protected].
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