Case Study and stakeholder analysis with one page memo to the CPD
OdayGH
CPDCaseStakeholderAnalysisSample2.pdf
To: Andrew Ginther, Mayor of Columbus
From: Eva Fischer
Date: October 22, 2021
Re: Stakeholder Analysis of Police Reform in Columbus, Ohio
Executive Summary
The advocacy for police reform on the national level has been growing over the past couple of
years, especially following the murder of George Floyd. This push for police reform has taken
place locally in Columbus as well. In response to this need, the City of Columbus is rightfully
taking action. Various stakeholders need to be considered and included in the decision-making
process, not just those with high levels of power. This memo begins with background on the
issue of police reform. There are also supplementary attachments with details about each
stakeholder and their relative power and interest (see appendix A & B). The memo concludes
with the analysis and recommendation that the City of Columbus prioritize seeking out the input
of stakeholders with high interest but low power because without intervention their input will not
be heard. Those with high power will naturally have a seat at the table, so throughout the process
decision-makers need to provide room for additional stakeholders.
Background
When examining the issue of police reform, one must recognize that policing in this country has
existed longer than the United States of America (Muhammad, 2020), and it has been a
racialized institution from the beginning. Some of the first police forces in the U.S. were slave
patrols designed to empower whites by giving them the power and duty of policing Blacks
(Muhammad, 2020). Over time the policing system evolved. Some of the stages include the
patronage stage with the key player of the Ku Klux Klan, a professionalism stage with a focus on
police education and training, and the current stage of partnership with an increase in the
militarization of police and increased accountability (Brandl, 2019). As much as the police
system has evolved, its foundation on racism and white supremacy are still ingrained in the
system.
Police brutality has been a national issue since the formation of policing, but recently the call for
police reform has grown louder. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures,
following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor last year, there have been over 2,000
bills related to policing introduced across the country (Sullivan & Klemko, 2021). Columbus has
followed this national trend of pushing for police reform. The city has had its own deaths at the
hands of police that have further spurred the activism. According to studies done by the
organization Mapping Police Violence, the Columbus Division of Police has killed five Black
children in the past five years (Martinez, 2021). This organization also found that Columbus has
the third highest number of children deaths at the hands of police compared to all other cities in
the country (Fung, 2021). This reality along with the nationwide push for police reform has
brought the issue to the forefront. Some changes have already been made by the Columbus
Police Department. For example, using choke holds and pepper spray on non-violent crowds is
now banned (Martinez, 2021). However, many Columbus residents feel this is not enough.
Analysis
The degree to which stakeholders are interested in the issues varies as does the amount of power
they wield in the decision (see appendix A & B). Some stakeholders call for defunding of the
police, while others may be more reluctant to drastic change. This divergence in opinions and
power makes it crucial for the decision-makers, including yourself, to be accessible and open to
all stakeholder groups and for those decision-makers to funnel the countering opinions into a
coherent plan (Cayer et al., 2014). In identifying the stakeholders to include it is important to
include external groups who are the “consumers” of the services (Cayer et al., 2014). There is a
wide range of people’s experiences, both positive and negative, with the police, which should be
represented in the discussion. For example, groups that are commonly marginalized and
victimized by the police should be at the forefront of the process (see appendix B). Some of these
groups that have a higher risk of being mistreated or killed by the police include, the Black,
mentally ill, and LGBTQ+ communities (Salter, 2021).
The city has already taken some steps to provide a platform for community members. One
example is the Chief’s Advisory Group, which is a group of fourteen community members who
have direct communication with the Columbus Chief of Police to provide input and increase
transparency (Bruner, 2020). This group is designed to include various stakeholders, including
some of those analyzed in this memo like an undergraduate student from The Ohio State
University (Bruner, 2020). Another example is the Safety Commission, which is a group of
seventeen members that provide change recommendations and advise the City Council and
yourself (Bruner, 2020). This shows that there is already work being done to include external
stakeholders in the issue, but more steps toward inclusion still need to be taken. It should not be
the responsibility of one student at the Ohio State University to represent that entire body of the
stakeholder group. Forums should be created in order to facilitate the discussion of the issue with
a more encompassing group of the various stakeholders.
Recommendation
Police reform is a pressing and controversial issue. It is crucial that various opinions and voices
are heard. As shown in appendix B, some stakeholders will already be represented due to their
high power and ability to advocate for themselves on the issue. However, there are a few
identified stakeholder groups that have high interest in the issue but need more power in order to
create change. These are the groups that should be expressly focused on because they are the
voices that would otherwise be left out. The stakeholders in the players’ quadrant of the power
versus interest grid will naturally influence the decision through their inherent power, and they
will overpower the interests of the other stakeholders if actions are not taken to counteract it (see
appendix B).
References
Baptist Pastor Conference Columbus and Vicinity. Welcome Baptist Pastor Conference of
Columbus & Vicinity. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from http://bpccv.org/.
About - Black Lives Matter. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://blacklivesmatter.com/.
Banks, A. (2021, April 22). Ohio State Students Demand University sever ties with Columbus
police. Essence. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.essence.com/news/ohio-
state-students-demand-university-sever-ties-with-columbus-police/.
Brandl, S. G. (2019). The History of the Police in America . In Police in America (pp. 19–33).
essay, SAGE Publications, Inc.
Bruner, B. (2020, August 5). Who's who in push to reform Columbus police. The Columbus
Dispatch. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/crime/2020/08/05/whorsquos-who-in-push-to-
reform-columbus-police/42160979/.
Cahill, J. (2021, October 20). Statement of national FOP president Patrick Yoes on Chicago's
call for law enforcement volunteers. Fraternal Order of Police. Retrieved October 21, 2021,
from https://fop.net/2021/10/statement-of-national-fop-president-patrick-yoes-on-chicagos-
call-for-law-enforcement-volunteers/.
Cayer, N. J., Cox, R. W., & Newell, C. (2014). Identifying the Actors in Community Politics. In
The Effective Local Government Manager (pp. 40–43). essay, ICMA Publishing.
City of Columbus City Council. Council Home Page. (2021). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://www.columbus.gov/council/.
City of Columbus Division of Fire. Division of Fire. (2021). Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://www.columbus.gov/public-safety/fire/.
City of Columbus Division of Police. Columbus Police Home. (2021). Retrieved October 21,
2021, from https://www.columbus.gov/police/.
The Columbus Dispatch. (2021). Local News, politics & sports in Columbus, OH. The Columbus
Dispatch. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.dispatch.com/.
Crowe, K. (1970, October 21). Stonewall Columbus. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://stonewallcolumbus.org/.
The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, Inc. Fraternal order of police of Ohio, Inc.. (2021).
Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.fopohio.org/index.cfm.
Fung, K. (2021, April 21). Columbus, Ohio, police have killed third most children in U.S.,
compared to other departments: Data. Newsweek. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
https://www.newsweek.com/columbus-ohio-police-have-killed-third-most-children-us-
compared-other-departments-data-1585396.
Hampton, D. J. (2021, September 16). Ohio faith leaders and police reform advocates call for
DOJ investigation into Columbus policing. NBC News. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ohio-faith-leaders-police-reform-advocates-call-
doj-investigation-columbus-n1279384.
Lagatta, E. (2021, April 21). Protesters march in downtown Columbus as Chauvin verdict
overshadowed by police shooting. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved October 21, 2021,
from https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2021/04/20/chauvin-verdict-met-happiness-
and-hope-downtown-columbus/7307326002/.
Leaders call for police reform. Columbus Urban League. (2020, June 4). Retrieved October 21,
2021, from https://www.cul.org/leaders-call-for-police-reform/.
Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition. (2021, April 15). Retrieved October 21, 2021,
from https://mhaadvocacy.org/.
Muhammad, K. G. (2020, June 4). American Police. NPR. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/03/869046127/american-police.
The Ohio State University. (2021). Welcome to Ohio State - The Ohio State University. The Ohio
State University. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from https://www.osu.edu/.
Ohio. The United States Department of Justice. (2021, March 16). Retrieved October 21, 2021,
from https://www.justice.gov/jmd/ls/ohio.
Salter, A. (2021). A Psychological Perspective on Police Brutality: Current Statistics,
Characteristics, and Trends Regarding Excessive Use of Force Characteristics, and
Trends Regarding Excessive Use of Force (dissertation). Tampa, Florida.
Sullivan, J., & Klemko, R. (2021, June 10). The push to remake policing takes decades, only to
begin again. The Washington Post. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2021/police-reform-failure/.
Appendix A
Stakeholders Analysis
Internal Stakeholders Analysis
Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio
(FOP)
https://www.fopohio.org/index.cfm
Ohio has a branch within the National FOP organization. The
overarching FOP organization has a lot of power within the
police reform decision as it “is the largest law enforcement labor
organization in the country, with more than 356,000 members”
(Cahill, 2021). This gives them substantial bargaining power.
They are also a high interest stakeholder as they represent police,
which is a group that will be directly and immediately affected
by police reform. The National FOP is working with Congress
on reform; therefore, one of the FOP of Ohio’s focuses would be
the reform specifically within Ohio rather than the whole
country.
Columbus Division of Police
https://www.columbus.gov/police/
The Columbus Division of Police is the highest interest
stakeholder group. They are directly affected by the police
reform decisions made in Columbus. The Fraternal Order of
Police of Ohio is closely related to their interest level as they
are a union organization to protect the interests of the Columbus
Division of Police. However, the FOP is advocating on behalf
of all Ohio and is not as focused on Columbus as this Division
is. They have higher interest but less power than the FOP
because they do not have the same bargaining power. The
Columbus Division of Police still will have plenty of power in
the police reform decision as they are at the center of the issue
and have over 1,800 officers and 300 civilian employees to
represent (City of Columbus Division of Police, 2021).
First Responders
https://www.columbus.gov/public-
safety/fire/
First responders such as firefighters and emergency medical
technicians are stakeholders in police reform decisions. Certain
reforms could shift responsibility from the police onto other
first responder groups. The reforms will affect them, but they
likely will not be major influencing factors in the development
of said reform. An example of one of these organizations is the
Columbus Division of Fire (City of Columbus Division of Fire,
2021). Police reform does not seem to be their main focus;
therefore, they are moderate to low on the interest and power
scale.
The Ohio and National
Department of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/jmd/ls/ohio
The Ohio Department of Justice holds a lot of power within the
Justice system. They have the power to investigate the
Columbus Police. This work began as “[t]he Justice
Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services… is working in partnership with Columbus police to
review policies and provide guidance on leadership training,
diversity recruitment and technology.” (Hampton, 2021). As
shown through their current work, the Department of Justice is
already involved in police reform and is directly affected by the
police piece of the justice system. It also has the power to
review policies and guide practices. They are therefore a high
power and interest stakeholder.
Columbus City Council
https://www.columbus.gov/council/
This stakeholder group has high interest and power similar to
the Fraternal Order of Police. However, their interest will likely
stem from their desire for reelection and support from the
Columbus community. They are not as closely or specifically
tied to police reform as the FOP. They do hold high power as
they are a key body in implementing new policies.
External Stakeholders of
especially marginalized and
victimized groups
Analysis
Individuals with mental health
or addiction issues
https://mhaadvocacy.org/
This stakeholder group is represented by organizations like the
Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition (MHAC). This
organization focuses on advocating for policies on behalf of
Ohioans who have mental health or addition issues (Mental
Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition, 2021). This mission
aligns with the advocacy around police reform, so this group
which may have been in the crowd quadrant without the unifying
organization is moved toward the subjects’ quadrant with higher
interest and on the moderate low power scale.
The LGBTQ+ Community
https://stonewallcolumbus.org/
This stakeholder group is represented by organizations like
Stonewall Columbus. Similar to individuals with mental health
and addiction issues, when this community is unified behind a
common organization their voice is amplified. This increases
their power, but it is still low because they do not have the same
power due to size, like Black Lives Matter, or direct influence,
like the City Council. They have a similar level of interest to the
Mental Health and Addiction Advocacy Coalition because they
are impacted as a group by the issue of police reform, but their
efforts are spread among various issues.
Black Lives Matter
https://blacklivesmatter.com
Black Lives Matter has shown their ability to mobilize the Black
community and allies, especially with the growing topic of police
reform over the past couple years. One example being their
mobilization of about 200 people outside the Columbus police
headquarters in response to former police officer Derek Chauvin
being found guilty (Lagatta, 2021) This exhibits that they are
both high power and high interest.
Other External Stakeholders Analysis
Religious Leaders
http://bpccv.org/
Religious leaders have power through their connections within
the community. Some leaders, like Pastor Fredrick LaMarr who
is president of the Baptist Pastor’s Conference of Columbus, are
active in the police reform sector specifically (Leaders call for
police reform, 2020). Those involved in the religious community
are generally those who have a multifaceted community, like
being in the religious and Black community. These leaders have
high interest and moderate to low power based on how they are
able to mobilize their congregations.
Columbus Public Schools,
specifically the Ohio State
University
https://www.osu.edu/
The Ohio State University consists of a wide population of
stakeholders that may hold different views and power. One of
these groups is the students. There is even variety among the
student population’s activeness on the issue. Hundreds have
shown their passion and interest through protest and advocacy
for the University to sever ties with the Columbus Police
Department (Banks, 2021). Obviously, there are also students
who are not active on the issue. There are also university
administrators who have the power to sever these ties but have
chosen not to do so. The campus as a whole has moderate to
high interest as it is heavily affected by the safety and
effectiveness of the police department; however, the power
within this stakeholder group varies.
The Media, specifically the
Columbus Dispatch
https://www.dispatch.com/
An example of a media stakeholder is the Columbus Dispatch.
They have written many articles about the advocacy, protests,
and progress in the process of reforming the police. They are not
as directly affected by the outcome of the reform. They do have
a motivation to keep high readership, but the specific issue they
write about is not as relevant as long as it is controversial. They
have the power to disseminate information quickly and widely.
Overall, this stakeholder is low interest and moderate to high
power.
Appendix B
Power Versus Interest Grid IN
TE R
ES T
Lo
w
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-- -→
H ig
h
Low -------------------------------------------------------------→ High
POWER
Context Setters Crowd
Players Subjects
Fraternal Order of
Police of Ohio
Columbus City
Council
Black Lives Matter
Columbus Division
of Police
Religious Leaders
Ohio State
University
Mental Health and
Addiction Advocacy
Coalition
Stonewall
Columbus
Department of
Justice
First Responders
The Columbus
Dispatch
