Case Analysis Deliverable 2 - Stakeholder Analysis

To: Mayor Andrew Ginther From: Brandon Bishop RE: Stakeholder Analysis Date: October 22, 2021

Executive Summary Demands to initiate policy changes within the Columbus Police Department have reached a new high. After a year of protests calling for public safety reform and a chaotic, violent response by police to such protests, Columbus residents and government officials view policing reform as a top priority. Under the direction of the Mayor’s Office, stakeholders must be involved in the process of police reform for the Columbus Police Department. This memo provides an analysis of the primary stakeholders. Internal stakeholders, consisting of police themselves and local public officials, are most interested and influential in the conversation. Community activists and organizations representing marginalized populations with a history of being victims of police brutality make up the key external stakeholders. Other community partners are also notable stakeholders. Throughout this memo, it is my recommendation that internal stakeholders must be highly engaged throughout each step of the process, the opinions key external stakeholders should be gathered in the beginning and end of the process, and other relevant stakeholders should be made aware of all changes with some consultation. The satisfaction of all stakeholders is the largest criterion for evaluating the success of policing reform. Background Over the past two years, demand for reform in the Columbus Police Department (CPD) increased substantially. The calls for change follow national attention to the history of racial injustice in policing in addition to numerous documented cases of police brutality by CPD. Following the murder of George Floyd, a Black resident of Minnesota, by a White police officer, protests erupted across the nation. In Columbus, CPD was ill-prepared for protests of the volume that occurred. Coordination across the department was poor in response, leading to inconsistent and antagonistic responses (Brown & Stewart, 2021). The department’s actions are now the subject of an investigation by the United States Department of Justice (Amiri & Huggins, 2021). As CPD’s practices continue to face criticism, engaging stakeholders in conversations on policing reform becomes increasingly essential. This analysis utilizes the power versus interest framework to assess relevant stakeholders and determine their level of involvement in the process. Stakeholder Analysis and Recommendations The internal stakeholders on the topic of policing reform consist of police representatives and local government officials. Internal stakeholders, in this case, hold the most power because of their control over the political or policy process. In addition, they hold high interest in the issue due to their own policy goals and status as public officials. These factors make them “players” in the process on the power versus interest grid, meaning that they all must be heavily prioritized in the process (Bryson, 2017). Police, represented by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #9, are the internal stakeholder most directly affected by reform outcomes, making their interest in the subject the highest. The FOP wields considerable political power, making endorsements and campaign donations each election cycle, issuing public statements on policy proposals, and employing their vast membership. The union also negotiates contracts directly with the city,

granting them bargaining power. The contract process offers opportunities for demands of police reform, as illustrated in the most recent contract (Bruner, 2021). The elected officials—chiefly the Columbus City Councilmembers and the Columbus City Attorney— show great interest in police reform but possess different forms of power. Council can approve or disapprove legislation concerning policing, meaning that they must be on board with the solution proposed. As Cayer et al. note (2014), support from those who control the policy process is crucial in the “legitimation and decision” stage. The Mayor’s Office should thus engage with Council throughout the process to ensure that they are aware of and supportive of policing reform proposals. Policing is a contentious issue in Columbus, raising the interest of any city-wide elected official, including the City Attorney. Though less political, the City Attorney’s Office still assesses and defends the legality of proposals. The power and interest of other local elected officials entitle them to a high level of engagement in the process. This, however, excludes school board members due to their minimal jurisdiction over public safety. External stakeholders in policing reform exist outside of the public sector. The vital external stakeholders represent minoritized groups with historically tense relationships with police. Community activists, specifically those advocating for communities of color, have elevated the issue of public safety on the policy agenda. The city should integrate the voices of criminal justice reform activists, prominent Black activists, LGBTQ+ organizations, and immigrant populations into the discussion on police reform. Different organizations may represent these groups but recognizing the intersectionality among the groups is crucial. Though they have varying interest levels, these communities (barring New American groups) are all considered “subjects” under the framework. Their high interest but low power makes them “subject” to the decisions of others (Bryson, 2017). To involve these stakeholders, Mayor’s Office should host dialogue sessions with relevant organizations to seek out opinions and experiences that will inform policy decisions. Officials should also meet with organization leaders directly to understand their policy preferences. Engagement should occur prior to the drafting of any proposals, after the “players” have reached a consensus on solutions and following policy implementation. Because these stakeholders have been the most directly affected by injustice at the hands of police, their satisfaction with policies is a fundamental criterion for assessing the success of reform. The final group of stakeholders consist of additional community partners. The Ohio State University Police Department entered into a mutual aid agreement with CPD, partnering to share resources and respond to emergencies across jurisdictional lines (City of Columbus & The Ohio State University, 2012). This makes the university directly affected by practices of CPD. Though the agreement has drawn attention, the university’s interest in the conversation is not exceedingly high, and they do not have exceptional power in public safety policymaking. The Columbus business scene, which is traditionally politically and economically influential in local politics, may have some interest in reform proposals. Both stakeholders are “crowd” stakeholders (see Attachment 2). They should be informed of proposals and policy changes but do not need to be highly engaged in all process aspects.

Attachment 1- List of Stakeholders 1. Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9

a. The Fraternal Order of Police is the union that represents Columbus Police officers. The union negotiates police contracts with the city, giving them substantial bargaining power. As the group representing officers, they hold significant interest in the issue of police reform while also wielding substantial power. The union is active politically, endorsing candidates in local elections and issuing statements on political matters related to policing.

b. http://www.fop9.org/ 2. Columbus City Council

a. Council must approve any legislative packages related to the topic of police reform. As of 2021, there are seven at-large councilmembers serving. The positions of each individual councilmember differ on details, but the body is in favor of more sweeping reform overall. The legislative power Council holds makes them a powerful stakeholder in the process. Based on public statements and campaign promises, Council is highly interested in police reform.

b. https://www.columbus.gov/council/ 3. Columbus City Attorney’s Office

a. Depending on what reforms are enacted, the City Attorney’s Office would likely play a role in enforcing the reforms. The legality of legislation is also typically reviewed by this office. Thus, the city attorney holds considerable power in ensuring reforms can be implemented. They hold medium interest in the issue because the city attorney is an elected official, though the staffers are not.

b. https://www.city-attorney.columbus.gov/ 4. Community Activists- Ohio People’s Justice Project

a. Community activists are an important voice leading the charge of police reform. The Ohio’s People’s Justice Project (PJP) is a grassroots activist organization that advocates for policy reforms in the areas of criminal justice and policing championing reform in Columbus. They are a growing organization. Their membership is primarily comprised of working-class people of color. PJP is highly interested in the issue of police reform and has status in activist circles. They wield some political power but not a great deal.

b. https://www.facebook.com/OhioPJP/ 5. Black Communities- Columbus Urban League

a. Black communities are the subject policing injustices most frequently. The voice of Black activists across the country has elevated police reform’s position on the policy agenda. Though there is certainly overlap between this stakeholder group and other groups, they are an important stakeholder to designate. The Columbus Urban League (CUL) is a prominent organization advocating for Black residents of Columbus. They hold some political power through their connections to local officials and political advocacy. CUL is interested in police reform, but it is not their primary focus as an organization.

b. https://www.cul.org/mission-vision/ 6. New Americans- Community Refugee and Immigration Services

a. Immigrants and refugees are also often the victims of injustices in policing as well as inaccessibility in government. Community Refugee and Immigration Services

(CRIS) is an organization that works closely with new Americans in the Central Ohio region. Their work is not related to police reform and they do not hold a lot of power, but are still an important voice to include in the conversation.

b. https://www.crisohio.org/ 7. LGBTQ+ Community- Stonewall Columbus

a. Like other marginalized communities, LGBTQ+ people have a strained relationships with police. Because of Columbus’s sizable and active LGBTQ+ scene, consulting with this group is essential. Stonewall Columbus is one of the most notable groups supporting LGBTQ+ residents. In the past, Stonewall Columbus has advocated on the issue of police reform, but they have not been a leading voice. Their focus as an organization is programming and outreach rather than advocacy, making them less interested in the issue.

b. https://stonewallcolumbus.org/ 8. The Ohio State University

a. OSU has a mutual aid agreement in place with CPD, as CPD secures the off- campus area. Moreover, OSU often completes research for the city and advises policy discussions. Because of their direct connection with Columbus police, OSU has some interest in police reform. They are not especially powerful players in the decision-making process.

b. https://dps.osu.edu/ 9. Columbus Business Community- Columbus Partnership

a. Businesses in Columbus may have concerns on public safety issues. The Columbus Partnership is an organization representing notable businesses in Columbus. They are active on issues of policy relating to economic development and are well-connected to local politicians. Their broader economic and political power gives them some influence in any political issue, but they are not highly interested in policing reform.

b. https://columbuspartnership.com/ 10. Columbus Board of Education

a. Columbus City Schools interact with police officers in a multitude of ways. Some schools have designated resource officers and officers may be tasked with responding to crises occurring at schools. In recent years, the role of police in schools has come into question. This makes the Columbus Board of Education mildly interested in the topic, though they do not have significant power in policy making under their jurisdiction.

b. https://www.ccsoh.us/domain/156

Attachment 2- Power Versus Interest Grid

Columbus City Attorney

References

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2020 Summer Protests (p. 111). John Glenn College of Public Affairs.

http://glenn.osu.edu/news/aar/aar-report.pdf

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Council Home Page. (2021). Columbus City Council. https://www.columbus.gov/council/

CRIS Ohio. (n.d.). CRIS Ohio. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.crisohio.org

Crowe, K. (n.d.). Stonewall Columbus. Https://Stonewallcolumbus.Org/. Retrieved October 22, 2021,

from https://stonewallcolumbus.org/

FOP Local 9. (2021). http://www.fop9.org/

Home Page. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://city-attorney.columbus.gov/

People’s Justice Project. (n.d.). Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://www.facebook.com/OhioPJP/