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Council tables vote on adding a sixth police officer after members request more data
Summary
The council deferred (tabled) a motion to add a sixth police officer after staff and the presenting agency official described rising calls and officer shortages; councilors asked for more detailed data before taking the personnel and budget vote.
The Columbus City Council tabled a proposal to add an additional (sixth) police officer position after members said they needed more information about calls, citations and budget impacts.
Staff and an agency official presented staffing and calls data and argued that increasing violent incidents and growing call volume justify an extra position. The official said, “The town is absolutely less safe than it was 10 years ago,” and noted difficulty covering shifts and the operational strain of officers frequently responding alone.
Several councilors said they wanted more time and updated numbers before approving a new ongoing budget commitment; one councilor moved to table the motion to the next meeting and that motion passed on roll call. The tabling motion effectively postponed action on the original request to add the position.
Councilors were specific about questions they wanted answered, including up-to-date crime and call-volume statistics and the fiscal impact of an added officer’s salary and benefits. Staff said it would provide the requested data and return with a revised proposal at a later meeting.
