Commander Cameron’s Observations

LexisNexis Community Crime Map https://communitycrimemap.com/

City of Columbus Website https://www.columbus.gov/

Franklin County Municipal Clerk of Courts http://www.fcmcclerk.com/

Franklin County Common Pleas Clerk of Courts https://clerk.franklincountyohio.gov/index.cfm

Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services http://mha.ohio.gov/

Columbus Police Online Crime Report https://www.columbus.gov/police-offensetypes/

Franklin County Sheriff Sex Offender Search http://www.icrimewatch.net/index.php?AgencyID=55213&disc

Franklin County Animal Care & Control http://dogs.franklincountyohio.gov/services/field-services.cfm

Columbus City Attorney Prosecutor Division http://www.columbuscityattorney.org/prosecution.aspx

Franklin County Prosecutor http://prosecutor.franklincountyohio.gov/

Addiction Resource https://addictionresource.com/

Columbus Division of Police—Zone 1 News

August 1, 2019

Inside this issue:

Useful Community

Links

1

Community Liaison 2

Inside the Opioid

Epidemic

3

From the Lieutenant 3

Officer Spotlight 3

Crime Trends 4

Zone 1 Commander Gary Cameron 614-645-4886

Useful Community Links (CTRL & Click)

Do you remember last year when crime was down and things

were quiet?

We have a lot going on right now across the Zone. There is a

series of Taco Bell burglaries across the City to include the Pola-

ris area. The suspect is breaking windows and stealing cash.

We are also noticing more panhandlers than normal. We’ve

seen them out on 17 Precinct, along 161 at Cleveland and even

a few up in the Polaris area. While it is not necessarily illegal to

panhandle, it is a good idea to call us when you see them.

Sometimes they are out in the street impeding traffic and this

may be an indication of a homeless camp set up nearby.

During the first two weeks of July, there were six robbery inci-

dents on 6 Precinct. Two of them were at or near the Walmart

on Morse Rd and the others were scattered around the precinct.

We do not have a crime pattern nor the same suspects involved.

Please report any suspicious characters that may try to ap-

proach you in parking lots.

On 17 Precinct, there were a larger number of thefts from autos, again, in the Hard & Sawmill

Rds. area. We know they are occurring late at night as suspects wander around neighbor-

hoods looking for unlocked cars. In one report, the owner had their gun stolen from their car.

Please don’t leave guns in your cars! I just received some information from Plain City PD on

two suspects they’ve arrested and we’re looking to see if there’s a connection.

18 Precinct has been fairly quiet this reporting period. For those who live in the Woodward

Park and Salem Village neighborhoods, we’ve had some activity on the walk bridge over I-71.

A couple of protesters used the bridge to communicate their message with passing motorists.

And, we’ve had reports of kids throwing rocks at cars. Rock throwing is a serious issue and

causing an injury to a passing motorist will be fully prosecuted.

Lastly, there are two very important dates in August. August 1st Mayor Ginther will be hosting a Community Cookout

6:30pm to 7:30pm at 2425 Bethel Road. And, August 6th is National Night Out; a day to observe police-community

partnership and safety. There are dozens of NNO events scheduled across Zone 1 and I hope to see you there.

Page 2 Columbus Division of Police—Zone 1 News

Community

Liaison

Officers

respond to

311 calls,

attend

community

meetings, and

are often the

“face” of the

Columbus

Police.

Community

Liaison 1 Precinct Officer Larry Geis

614-645-1401

6 Precinct Officer Eric Jones

614-645-1406

I would like to touch on a couple of topics that I have received complaints on over the last month.

Noisy neighbors. We all understand that summer is the time of cookouts and gatherings for different

events that we may celebrate or honor. I would just like to remind everyone to be a good neighbor.

Be considerate of your noise levels as the evening progresses in regards to music and conversation.

We can all be a little loud at times and if you add in an adult beverage, it tends to amplify. If you have

a neighbor who comes and asks nicely for you to be a little quieter, don’t be the one who says “I’ll

show them!” Tell them thanks for letting you know, apologize for being loud, and then do what needs

to be done to be a good neighbor.

Fireworks complaints. We all know that in Ohio it is illegal to shoot off fireworks. As above be considerate to your neigh-

bors. Speak with them and understand that sometimes there are underlying reasons why someone may ask you to stop

or not continue with your home display. Understand it is illegal and you can be cited.

Remembering the adage: “Treat people how you would like to be treated” will go a long way toward maintaining a friend-

ly, pleasant neighborhood for all.

17 Precinct Officer Joseph Townsend

614-645-1417

Over the past few weeks many residents on 17 Precinct decided to use this nice summer weather

to bring neighborhood residents together through block parties, as well as a summer cookout at

Covenant Baptist Church.

The 2 block parties were held in the neighborhoods of Brookside Village and Brookside Colony.

Both neighborhoods have block watches and civic associations. Both block parties were very well

attended. I believe when neighborhoods plan this type of an event, it definitely builds camarade-

rie in the area. It’s great to see people getting together and helping to build a nice safe area to

live. As in most things that anyone does, the more communication there is in neighborhoods, the

safer they most likely will be. This type of interaction can really build a solid foundation for a neighborhood. Great job

to everyone who was a part of these events.

In closing, I would like to once again remind everyone to be very mindful of what property they are leaving in their cars.

As most know, officers make lots of arrests on thieves. Please try to help all of us out by not leaving any valuable

property in your vehicles, especially firearms.

As always, if anyone needs anything, feel free to call/email me anytime.

18 Precinct Officer Scott Clinger

614-645-1418

Late last month a controversy arose from an issue at Woodward Park. Apparently there has been a

“paramotor” being operated at and around Woodward Park. A paramotor is basically a full size

ascending parachute with a fan motor attached which allows it to gain enough air speed to create

lift for flight. This can fly thousands of feet into the air with the person on board. The fact that this

was flying around the park had many people nervous and generated several complaints.

As we looked through our park regulations we found that there were no specific statutes regulating

ultralight activity. This activity is taking place outside of the 3-mile controlled airspace of John

Glenn International Airport but the flying portion is regulated under FAA Part 103 rules: No person

may operate an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement, or over

any open air assembly of persons.

Columbus Police enforce State of Ohio and Columbus City laws but do not enforce federal laws or regulations. In this

case if we witness the activity then we can collect the relative information and forward that to the FAA for enforcement

consideration. If the takeoff and landing areas are within the city parks under Columbus Code 919.05(B) we can ban the

individual from utilizing the parks and if he returned charge him with trespassing

This month I want to talk about thefts from cars on 6 Precinct. We have our share of car break-

ins. The thieves take advantage of the hot weather for their benefit. Most folks have their home

windows closed and their A/C running during these warm nights. This provides the opportunity for

the thieves to move through our neighborhoods without being heard. The large majority of the

cases I see involve cars that were not locked. Taking a couple of extra seconds to check that your

doors are locked and your valuables are out of sight, can save you from being a victim. The best

way to protect your car is to park it in a garage and keep the door down. When a thief targets a

neighborhood, they look for opportunities such as unlocked car doors, open garage doors etc. In

fact when a neighborhood has a few car break-ins overnight, it is a good bet that they tried every-

one’s car door handles. Also, when a thief is successful in an area, they are more likely to return

and try again. So help us keep your neighborhood safe and lock your doors. See you next month!

Inside the Opioid Epidemic Commander Cameron

Kratom,

A tree whose

leaves can provide

a high.

Page 3

From the Lieutenant Lt. Ty Brust

Zone 1 Lieutenants

614-645-6127

Officer Spotlight: Joe Townsend

Officer Joe Townsend was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and moved to Columbus when I was hired by

CPD. He has been with the division for just over 25 years, and spent the first 20 years on Zone 2, on both

13 and 11 Precincts. He is currently assigned to 17 Precinct, as Community Liaison Officer.

Officer Townsend says, “I decided to be a police officer during my childhood days. I always thought, grow-

ing up, that it would be an exciting profession to get into, and over the years it’s been a great ride.”

Townsend considers the best part of his job to be all of the amazing people he has met as a CLO, especially

through his work with the various community groups/block watches and schools/businesses.

In his free time he likes to attend Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians games, and spends a fair

amount of time playing ice hockey. And last, he likes to travel to any destinations with high temperatures!

Photo caption: Attending a Cleveland Indians game last fall with my girlfriend of 5 years, Melissa.

I was driving home last week and saw a hand-made sign advertising Kratom for sale. The sign was outside

the City’s limits so I didn’t give it much thought at the time. But, I’ve since remembered my promise to dis-

cuss Kratom in an upcoming newsletter.

Kratom is a tree native to Asia and consumption of its leaves can provide a high. Typically, the leaves are

dried, crushed and consumed either in a capsule or a powder added to a drink. The high ranges from act-

ing like a stimulant to psychotic episodes. Experts at the Ohio State University claim that Kratom abuse as

very similar characteristics as abusing opiates.

Searching the Internet, I can only find that the State of Ohio Pharmacy Board has ruled Kratom as a Schedule I drug. This is a

step toward making Kratom consumption illegal in the state. Currently, there is no federal ban on use. Meanwhile, there is a

healthy debate between Kratom proponents and those seeking to make the drug illegal.

Lastly, I reported last month on a warning from Columbus Health; they have seen an increase in Fentanyl related overdoses.

This trend is not limited to Heroin and related opiates as we have seen Cocaine tainted/mixed with Fentanyl. This warning is

supported by an increasing number of positive Fentanyl tests at the Police Crime Lab.

It is hard to believe that I am starting my eighth month as the first shift (7A-3P) Lieutenant on Zone

1. Let me introduce myself again. My name is Ty A. Brust and I have been with the Columbus Divi-

sion of Police for almost 30 years. I grew up on the north end and graduated from Beechcroft High

School. I still have a lot of family and friends in the area.

We recently started a directed patrol aimed at curbing the “beggars” that you can see on almost

every corner on Zone 1. We have had some success. We partnered with the Prosecutors’ office and

judges to come up with the best solutions to this problem. The bottom line is we need a conviction

on any arrest we make on the panhandlers, so we can enhance the charge the next time they are

arrested. Many times the Judge will dismiss the charge for time served and that does not count as a

conviction. I know some will say we shouldn’t be “hassling” these people but they are a problem.

Stepping out in the street is very dangerous and it causes traffic backups.

We are also keeping an eye on an uptick of robberies on 18 Pct. In the past two weeks though, we have seen a decline.

Some of these robberies have been on individuals, so please be aware of your surroundings.

I continue to be amazed on how hard my officers work to make Zone 1 the best area to live in the city of Columbus. As the

summer comes to an end and the kids get ready to go back to school please know that the officers on Zone 1 are doing

everything possible to keep everyone safe.

From the Lieutenant Lt. Ty Brust

Zone 1 Lieutenants

614-645-6127

From the Lieutenant Lt. Ty Brust

Zone 1 Lieutenants

614-645-6127

From the Lieutenant Lt. Ty Brust

Zone 1 Lieutenants

614-645-6127

From the Lieutenant Lt. Ty Brust

Zone 1 Lieutenants

614-645-6127

From the Lieutenant Lt. Ty Brust

Zone 1 Lieutenants

614-645-6127

120 Marconi Boulevard

Columbus OH 43215

Non-Emergency 614-645-4545

PURPOSE-PASSION-PRIDE

VISION STATEMENT

United in the spirit of teamwork, the Columbus Division of Police will be

a trustworthy, diverse, progressive and community-minded organization

devoted to providing excellent public service. We will be unyielding in

purpose and dedicated to live by our Core Values, which reflect our gen-

uine desire to care for the safety and well-being of our community and

our employees.

Zone 1 Crime Trends and Patterns

Find us online (CTRL & Click):

https://www.columbus.gov/police/

Zone-wide, Thefts from Vehicles were higher than normal for July. The map above is an interesting way to look

at trends and hotspots—all incidents are counted, in two segments, 7/1 to 7/15, and 7/16 to 7/31. The re-

sulting map gives us insight into where activity decreased (the blue and green areas) and where it increased

(the red and yellow areas) between the two periods of time. This kind of map also gives us good information

about where to place patrol cars, allowing us to use our resources more efficiently.

This amount of activity is unusual for Zone 1, and we will be monitoring it closely. Please be sure to call the

non-emergency number, 614-645-4545 to report suspicious people in your neighborhood between 11PM and

5AM, the time when most of these incidents are occurring, especially if they are trying vehicle door handles. If

you see someone, call immediately!