Amid Crime Wave, Franklin County Prosecutor Says He’s Protecting Ohioans of Color – from Police
Amid Crime Wave, Franklin County Prosecutor Says He’s Protecting Ohioans of Color – from Police November 30, 2021 Peter D'Abrosca Gary Tyack more
As central Ohio sees crime rates soar, one prosecutor is working to reign in police departments.
In a candid interview with WBNS, Franklin County Prosecutor Gary Tyack said his office is working to protect the African American community from police, and that it is focused on prosecuting police officers.
“We feel like it is our job to let the community know, especially the African-American community that they are not fair game for a police officer,” Tyack, who has been on the job for a year, told the news station.
Columbus has reached a record-high in murders in 2021.
Though he noted that “biggest problem is that the crime wave in Central Ohio doesn’t seem to be abating,” Tyack is focused on police misconduct.
“One of the big changes that our office (has) made is that we are willing to consider charging a police officer who shoots someone and shouldn’t have,” he said.
He’s also focused on diversity initiatives, including hiring a diverse staff of prosecutors to handle the cases of violent alleged crimes that are piling up.
“We have excellent staff, and we have excellent prosecutors, some of whom I have hired. I have added more African-Americans and other folks so we have a little more balance than what the office was before,” Tyack said.
The Franklin County Fraternal Order of Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a comment request.
As of October, Columbus’ murder rate had grown a whopping 64 percent in 2021, growing faster than any major city in America this year....
Amid Crime Wave, Franklin County Prosecutor Says He's Protecting Ohioans of Color - from Police - The Ohio Star