As Columbus narrows down its police chief candidates to the final four, questions are being raised about the ethics of one of the candidates, while some of the others show more promise. The four finalists for the job are Elaine Bryant, Derrick Diggs, Avery Moore and Ivonne Roman; however, this article will focus on Diggs and Roman.
Derrick Diggs of the Fort Myers, Florida Police Department is undergoing an investigation conducted by the Florida Commission on Ethics. He has been accused of abusing his city issued credit card, using it to make questionable purchases. A report states that Diggs has spent around $10,000 on restaurant outings over the span of three years. He also used the card to buy boots and a satellite radio subscription. Diggs declared that it is the city’s responsibility to provide supplies for him. The Fort Myers Police Department agrees with Diggs in a statement made back in September:
“All the credit expenditures were appropriate and within city policy. Each receipt was forwarded to finance and authorized… The department is confident the facts will clear up any confusion around the credit card purchases.”
The investigation was launched after a complaint was filed claiming that Diggs was employing his city credit card for personal use. The case has been handed over to a prosecutor to find out the truth.
Diggs has a close background with Ohio. “Ohio is where my heart is, it is where I grew up and is where I spent most of my professional career.” Diggs also says that he sees plenty of opportunities in Ohio.
Ivonne Roman is receiving attention after advocating for young girls of color. Roman is a former commander of the Criminal Investigations Bureau at the Newark Police Department in New Jersey, where she worked for over 25 years. She spoke with some of the members of the Eryn Pink Girl Empowerment organization, answering questions on the rise in gun violence among the city’s young people.
Roman insists that in order to decrease violence, the police department and the community itself must form a close relationship with each other. She also promises to create programs encouraging women and people of color to pursue careers in law enforcement if she becomes the city’s police chief.
The citizens of Columbus currently await the announcement of who will become the new leader of the police department and hope that he or she will bring about reform.