COLUMBUS, Ga. — Officers of the Columbus Police Department have confidentially reached out to the Muckraker with new information that updates Jensen Hughes’ study, showing the issues have continued to devolve since the report was printed last November.

As we published just yesterday, the study conducted by Jensen Hughes stated that CPD currently has 118 patrol officers but should have an additional 196 for a total of 314; the department is missing 62% of the patrol officers it should have to keep the streets of Columbus safe. 

Now, that number is far lower. Several officers of the Columbus Police Department have stressed the continued deterioration of the department’s effectiveness since the report’s time of publication.

The below message is one of several pieces of correspondence from several CPD officers received by the Muckraker. It has been slightly edited for both grammar and content to maintain the strict anonymity of the officer and then re-verified by the officer to ensure accuracy in reporting. The message’s content has been cross-referenced with that received from other CPD officers to ensure its authenticity:

“I’m an officer with the Columbus Police Department. It's widely known throughout the department that the specialized units that addressed gang, drug, and violent crime have been gutted. From what I’ve heard, the unit was recently disbanded under the guise of being “temporarily discontinued.” Apparently the rock star cops who worked that unit were needed for basic patrol duty so they could answer 9-1-1 calls instead of doing their actual highly-specialized jobs.

The Special Operations Unit (drug/gang/vice) has gone from nearly 20 officers and supervisors to having 2 officers. There’s no way they can address the needs of the city.

Those elite officers probably aren't too happy about that, either.  If that were me, I’d be looking at other departments in other cities where I could actually do my job while keeping my family safer in the process. The morale of the entire department suffers because of this, as patrol officers see how little of an effect our work actually has in the big picture. It’s like we can't win no matter what we do and nothing matters. If I had to guess, I’d bet more officers will probably leave the department soon as a result of this.

The Jensen Hughes study stated there were about 118 patrol officers. Since that report was completed, that number has dropped down to actually about 90. Staffing is so low that we are regularly denied our standard vacation and holiday time. Even worse, we’re prohibited from attending training so we can stay on a patrol schedule instead. I really can’t emphasize enough how crazy and dangerous that is. Serious national incidents come from poorly trained officers. 

Whatever our city officials have said about the complaints against Blackmon’s leadership being racist are complete garbage. Blackmon’s failures have nothing to do with race or gender. They have everything to do with his inability to lead a police force.

 The department has at least two very capable leaders who could start fixing this immediately and let us do our jobs, but they themselves are micromanaged by Blackmon every day. Cpt Herman Miles — a black male — and Asst. Chief Debra Kennedy — a white female — could begin to make the necessary changes to right this sinking ship. The problem is the Chief’s failed leadership and micromanagement of even the most seasoned senior staff. They aren’t allowed to do what needs to be done. 

I’ve spoken to city councilors off the record. Most of them care and want the Chief replaced, but the Mayor has consistently blocked council from being able to do so.

People think the easy solution is to merge the Sheriff’s Office and CPD, but that won’t solve the problem either. Countryman has his own issues and the jail is one incident away from DOJ oversight. 

Blackmon’s failure is probably the single biggest issue facing the city. There’s no beating a dead horse with this issue. Our department needs effective leadership and we’re getting the complete opposite every day instead. 

The public has no idea how violent and dangerous the city’s criminal gangs really are. Most of y'all who make decisions for a living are sheltered from that stuff and only see it on the news or maybe hear a shot or two. You guys have no idea. Believe me when I say our department needs serious help before our city destroys itself.”

//———NOTHING FOLLOWS ———//

Facts are stubborn things — and we’ll keep publishing them, whether city officials like them or not.

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