City Council enacts anti-violence ordinances after five killed over two days

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- After five were killed during a string of weekend shootings, Columbus City Council passed a wave of legislation aimed at violence reduction and prevention.

Two overnight shootings occurred on Friday, leaving a total of four dead. Less than two days later, another person was killed on Sunday morning in a Downtown shooting. Even though the city's Office of Violence Prevention said that despite this past weekend, homicide numbers are below what they were this time last year, City Council took another step Monday night in what is being called a marathon -- not a sprint.

The council voted to approve three anti-violence ordinances:

• $250,000 contract with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform for gun violence reduction strategies, violence reduction landscape analysis, and technical assistance
• $500,000 grant to support LSS Choices and its work with domestic violence survivors
• $150,000 contract with Ohio State University for practices to address overarching violence prevention strategies

The dollar partnership between NICJR and the Office of Violence Prevention will allow the organization to help find how Columbus can address crime. Using data like gun violence cost analysis -- or the government costs associated with each homicide and injury shooting -- can help give the city more context in its mission toward reducing violence.

"When we talk about systems costs, we're talking about police response, we're talking about crime scene investigations, we're talking about the responses that our medical systems and our EMS folks have to engage in," Shantay Jackson, director of the National Offices of Violence Prevention Network, said. "We're talking about the prosecutorial costs, the incarceration costs associated with gun violence in the community. We know that we're going to have to pay for gun violence one way or another."

Jackson said that in Baltimore, where she is based, a non-fatal shooting costs the city $1.5 million while a homicide costs about $2 million.

"They provide best practices from across the region and the nation," Councilmember Emmanuel Remy said. "It's important that we're listening to all of our partners throughout the country, making sure that we're employing best practices."

Rena Shak, director of the Office of Violence Prevention, emphasized community violence prevention, which she called an umbrella approach.

"Under that umbrella, there are multiple facets of possible ways and strategies to reduce violence in a city, in particular gun violence," Shak said.

Council addresses city's domestic violence issue

Gun violence wasn't the only type of crime being legislated against. Remy said the grant awarded to LSS Choices will help combat increased domestic violence.

"Unfortunately, some of the federal funding has fallen," Remy said. "So, we're stepping up our investment. We're gonna do whatever it takes to help squash this epidemic. This uptick in domestic violence is a real problem in our community."

LSS Choices is the only domestic violence shelter in Franklin County. The organization provides a safe haven and 24-hour crisis and information hotline for domestic violence victims. Due to community support, LSS has been able to expand, renovate and build facilities. The grant agreement will help LSS keep up with its increases in size and need.

The third ordinance entered the Office of Violence Prevention into a contract with Ohio State.

"It's just a matter of making sure that all the pieces are being supported," Remy said.

According to the figures released Monday by Columbus police, there have been 36 homicide investigations to date in 2024, the lowest number to this point in a year since 2016.