If you’re an officer or employee of the Columbus Police Department and wish to voice your opinions on the current state of the department, please reach out to the Muckraker. We will privately verify your credentials and will not publish your identity.
Residents may voice their opinions on the current state of the Columbus Police Department by contacting their city council members.
COLUMBUS, Ga. — This is the fifth exclusive insider article that the Muckraker has published in as many days giving voice to officers of the Columbus Police Department.
In response to our previous reporting, another Columbus Police Officer came forward to speak about how the city will “become a war zone” if the department’s leadership issues aren’t corrected.
The officer cited specific examples of how the department’s leadership continues to destroy the effectiveness of the city’s police force from the top-down, emphasizing that city officials have continued to ignore the years-long problem and have done nothing to help fix it.
The officer also mentioned how the inevitable continuing rise of violent crime under police chief Freddie Blackmon’s command could likely result in a negligent retention lawsuit against the city.
Hear the officer’s own words for yourself in our exclusive interview below.
Note: The interview below was conducted via email. It is one of several pieces of correspondence received by the Muckraker from several CPD officers. It has been slightly edited for both grammar and content to maintain the strict anonymity of the officer.
MUCKRAKER: Thank you for your bravery in reaching out to us. What should we know? We’re all ears.
OFFICER: In a previous article you published, the officer questioned how many detectives are left at CPD. I happen to know the answer to that officer’s question. There are only 18 corporal detectives working cases right now. Eighteen. For the entire city.
MUCKRAKER: Thank you very much for that updated information. What are your general thoughts surrounding the current situation with CPD?
OFFICER: The current situation is dire and getting worse each and every day. The chain of command — with the exception of a few — is composed of bullies who were placed in their positions based on friendship rather than merit.
We also experience constant threats of suspension for simply wanting to do our jobs. Calling it micromanagement would be an understatement. Captains and Deputy Chiefs who really have no idea how to police are ruling the department with an iron fist. Micromanagement runs downhill, and it starts at the top. As a result, officers are overworked, burned out, and grossly unappreciated. Those of us who are still here love this city. We love what the department used to be and could be again.
MUCKRAKER: How do you feel about how the Fraternal Order of Police is handling the situation?
OFFICER: The FOP’s hands are tied. There have now been multiple studies that all reiterated what was said last year through our vote of no confidence in Chief Blackmon, and the only result was that the FOP is still somehow labeled as “racist.”
The FOP called every single active member and asked the same questions to each member. The answers were tallied and presented to city council, where the city manager (Isaiah Hugley) had a pre-planned counter-attack already prepared on behalf of his friend, Chief Blackmon.
Council and the city manager seem to think they always have the upper hand by always knowing beforehand what is going to be presented. Unfortunately, the FOP was dismissed and ignored. Nothing was done to the city manager nor his behavior — which was actually appalling, unprofessional and racist.
MUCKRAKER: What do you think the public needs to know?
OFFICER: The public needs to know that city officials and CPD’s upper command staff clearly DO NOT care about the public’s safety, nor do they care about the state of the police department. Serious questions need to be asked. Answers need to be demanded by the citizens.
Council and the mayor work for the citizens, and they are failing miserably … I have NEVER in all my years as a police officer ever seen a chief put his head in the sand and ignore violence like Chief Blackmon does. He ignores the struggles of his staff. He ignores the department overall. All he cares about is that he has the title of “chief,” but he does NONE of the work that a chief should do. He and his tyrants care only about their climb up the ranks and who they can blame for their own wrongdoings instead of looking at themselves in the mirror.
Who in their right mind would want to be the chief who brought the end to a police department? It is almost as if he is sinking CPD on purpose. The question is: why?
MUCKRAKER: You’ve mentioned that it almost seems as if Chief Blackmon is sinking the department on purpose. Can you expand on that a bit? Do you potentially see that as an actual possibility, or is it merely an expression of how poorly his performance has been?
OFFICER: Nothing else honestly makes sense. It’s literally that bad. He can't actually be this stupid, incompetent, ignorant, and blind, can he? No, I don’t have any actual proof that he is doing it on purpose. Those are just my honest thoughts as a seasoned police officer and the thoughts of several others as well.
MUCKRAKER: Wow, those are strong words. Thank you for clarifying that. What in particular about Chief Blackmon’s leadership style has led his officers to have formed such strong negative opinions? Can you provide any specific examples?
OFFICER: The list is very long:
… But by g*d, the walls are repainted in the building and there is new signage on the doors. Whoopie!
Chief Blackmon is also so egotistical and narcissistic that he asks people to sign loyalty contracts when they are promoted — loyalty to him, personally, NOT to the city or citizens.
If he calls someone for a meeting and they can't meet with him right then-and-there to discuss a possible promotion, he skips over them and goes to the next person — because heaven forbid someone have a life outside of the PD and not be at his beck and call.
MUCKRAKER: You’ve mentioned several things that we have also heard from other officers. Can you expand more on some of the examples you’ve mentioned? We’re sure each one has a story, and we’d really like to help you tell them. Can you tell us more about what you mean by Chief Blackmon ridding the fugitive investigations unit? What’s the story behind that?
OFFICER: Chief Blackmon did not see a need for the fugitive unit, whose sole job was hunting down persons on warrants and picking up prisoners from other jurisdictions. Now, that responsibility falls on the extremely short-staffed detectives and patrol units, which takes even more officers off the streets who are crucial to keeping the city safe.
MUCKRAKER: In your honest and professional opinion, what do you think will happen if the issues are not corrected?
OFFICER: There will be no one to answer 9-1-1 calls. The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is absolutely not equipped to handle it, point blank, even if you combined our two agencies (CPD & MCSO). Sheriff Greg Countryman is just as short-handed. He’s just much better at fending off criticism and the media.
The citizens will suffer and this city will become a war zone.
My question is: when will the city be held liable in a negligent retention lawsuit when something major happens here?
//———End of Officer’s Interview———//
If you’re an officer or employee of the Columbus Police Department and wish to voice your opinions on the current state of the department, please reach out to the Muckraker. We will privately verify your credentials and will not publish your identity.
Residents may voice their opinions on the current state of the Columbus Police Department by contacting their city council members.
Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.
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