Assistant chief outlines how Columbus police handle board recommendations, discipline and policy reviews

Assistant Chief Conves of the Columbus Division of Police told the civilian review board that recommendations tied to specific cases go to the division’s internal affairs bureau while policy suggestions go through a separate research and development and accreditation review process.

Conves said case-related recommendations arrive at Internal Affairs, are packaged with evidence and routed up the chain of command. "The collective bargaining agreement kind of dictates how the chain-of-command review goes," Conves said, adding that supervisors must record concurrence or provide written justification when they disagree with a finding.

The board heard that discipline is governed by progressive-discipline rules in the collective bargaining agreement but can be escalated for critical misconduct. "Generally, we must follow progressive discipline," Conves said. He described the typical progression as documented constructive counseling (DCC), written reprimand,…