Last night, the Columbus Division of Police announced that it would be getting rid of its Vice Section under the Narcotics Bureau, following last week’s federal indictment of Vice Detective Andrew Mitchell. Moving forward, vice-related crimes will be addressed with a “community-centered approach”.
“Many officers who have worked Vice are dedicated professionals who responsibly carry out their duties,” stated Police Chief Tom Quinlan. “Today’s actions are an essential step to reaffirming community partnerships.”
Several of the officers and detectives who work within the Vice Section have already voluntarily moved to other assignments, with Quinlan working to reassign the remaining officers.
“I applaud Chief Quinlan’s decision to disband the Vice Unit, recognizing the Unit has lost the public’s trust,” stated Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. “While change and reform are hard, they are necessary if we want to be the best of the best. Our residents should be assured that laws like liquor violations will continue to be enforced with greater scrutiny and in the context of community-oriented policing.”