Crime has decreased in Columbus, Ohio. This year, the city’s homicide rate is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Other violent crimes have gone down as well.
To some extent, this is a reflection of broader trends. Like most cities, Columbus saw a spike in shootings and homicides during the pandemic. The worst of the problem has subsided.
But Columbus police aren’t just riding the demographic waves. Under Chief Elaine Bryant, the division has overhauled almost its entire leadership, including a multimillion-dollar buyout of deputy chiefs who resisted her initiatives. The department has also expanded its attention to non-fatal shootings, altered its approach to investigating homicides and devoted additional resources to the mental health of officers…