Columbus at a glance
Population by race and Hispanic origin
Cities in this database with the most similarly-sized populations
Full-time law enforcement staff, Columbus Police Department
- 1,811 Officers
- 466 Civilian staff
Full-time law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents
- 1.99 Columbus
- 2.4 National average, cities with 250,000+ population
- 2.2 National average
These figures reflect the Columbus Police Department only, and do not include state or other police agencies that may be present in this location.
Federal grant funding for Columbus
Data was last updated October 29, 2023
We identified over $1.3M in federal grant funding, FY 2014-2024
Grant funding over time
Grant funding by federal department
Recent grants
| Amount | Start and end dates | Recipient and description | Awarding agency | CFDA program | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000.00 | 10/1/2021 9/30/2025 |
CITY OF COLUMBUS IN THE US, THERE ARE MORE THAN TEN MILLION VICTIMS OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE EACH YEAR, WITH ROUGHLY FIFTY PERCENT OF FEMALE MURDER VICTIMS KILLED BY AN INTIMATE PARTNER (NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (NCADV), 2020). IN OHIO DURING 2019, THERE WERE 76,203 CALLS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR… | Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs | 16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program | Sub |
| $100,000.00 | 10/1/2020 9/30/2024 |
CITY OF COLUMBUS SUPPORT FOR A MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT INCREASED POSITIVE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE PUBLIC, WITH A SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON THE DANGERS OF DRINKING AND DRIVING. | Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs | 16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program | Sub |
| $143,000.00 | 10/1/2019 9/30/2023 |
CITY OF COLUMBUS SUPPORT FOR CRIME LAB UPDATES FOR THE COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE | Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs | 16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program | Sub |
| $162,860.00 | 10/1/2018 9/30/2022 |
CITY OF COLUMBUS PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE SUPPORTING UPGRADES TO THE COLUMBUS DIVISION OF POLICE HELICOPTER FLEET INCLUDING UPDATED MAPPING SYSTEM AND INFRARED IMAGERY. | Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs | 16.738 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program | Sub |
Military equipment transfers
Data last updated July 9, 2024
$2M value of military equipment has been transferred to the Columbus Police Department
The highest-value stock number reported is ENGINE,AIRCRAFT,TURBO-SHAFT with 7 items valued at $295,609.00 each
Recent equipment transfers
| Ship date | Item and National Stock Number (NSN) | Quantity | Acquisition value, each | Acquisition value, total | DEMIL code | DEMIL IC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/19/2015 | ENGINE,AIRCRAFT,TURBO-SHAFT 2840-01-333-2064 |
7 | 7 @ $295,609.00 | $2,069,263.00 | C | 1 |
| 2/16/2006 | RIFLE,5.56 MILLIMETER 1005-00-073-9421 |
1 | 1 @ $499.00 | $499.00 | D | 1 |
Local police misconduct data, consent decrees, and settlements
Data last updated January 26, 2022
Settlements
We identified 5 publicly reported settlements that resulted in policy changes and $19,125,000.00 in monetary compensation to victims.
| Year | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 |
In December 2021, the City of Columbus agreed to pay $5.75 million to 32 plaintiffs who alleged that police officers used excessive force against them during social justice protests in the summer of 2020. The plaintiffs were among many who were protesting police violence in May 2020. During the protests, the police made arrests and used excessive force, such as pepper spray, tear gas, and wooden batons, against protesters, resulting in some of the plaintiffs sustaining significant injuries. The injured protesters filed a lawsuit in July 2020, and the city reached a settlement with the 32 plaintiffs in December 2021, agreeing to pay $5.75 million to be divided among them. Additionally, the city agreed to implement a permanent injunction barring Columbus police officers from using forms of nonlethal force against nonviolent protesters. |
Policy changes
Compensation $5,750,000.00 |
| 2021 |
The City of Columbus will pay $10 million, the largest settlement in the city’s history, to the family of Andre Hill, who was fatally shot by a police officer, Adam Coy, in December 2020. Hill was unarmed and posed no threat. The shooting was captured by Coy, via his body camera. However, his body camera footage does not have sound since he was on a non-emergency call. Coy has a history of complaints. Hill was visiting a family friend when he was shot while Coy was responding to a neighbor’s non-emergency complaint about someone stopping and starting a car outside. |
Compensation
$10,000,000.00 |
| 2020 |
Columbus City officials announced in November 2020 that they intend to pay nearly $1 million dollars to settle a wrongful death lawsuit. Donna Castlebury, who was 23 years-old, was shot and killed by an undercover police officer in 2018. Andrew Mitchell, the police officer who shot Castlebury, is facing criminal charges of murder and voluntary manslaughter. He is the first Columbus police officer in two decades to face criminal prosecution for an on-duty killing. |
Compensation
$1,000,000.00 |
| 2020 |
Officer Karl Shaw, a Black police officer of the Columbus Division of Police, alleged that he has been subject to retaliation for reporting racist behavior and other instances of police misconduct. Officer Shaw has worked for the Columbus Division of Police for 28 years. The settlement admits no wrongdoing but agrees to Officer Shaw’s demand that future instances of retaliation be treated as a terminable offense. Three other officers have made similar allegations against the Department which are currently pending. |
Compensation
$475,000.00 |
| 2010 - 2015 |
Columbus paid $1.9 million to resolve police misconduct claims from 2010 to 2015. According to an analysis of city records conducted by The Columbus Dispatch, lawsuits and claims of police misconduct and civil rights violations resulted in $1.9 million in payouts by the City of Columbus from 2010 to 2015. |
Compensation
$1,900,000.00 |