COLUMBUS, Ohio — Detroit assistant police chief Elaine Bryant has been selected as the next chief of the Columbus Division of Police.
Bryant, 48, will be making history in multiple ways. Aside from being the first person from outside the division in the city’s history to take the reins, she also will be the first Black woman to lead the department.
Bryant was hired after a national search that resulted in 34 applications. She was one of four finalists for the position, along with Dallas Assistant Chief Avery Moore; retired Newark, New Jersey, police chief Ivonne Roman; and Fort Myers, Florida, police chief Derrick Diggs.
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther had not yet officially announced as of 1:40 p.m. Tuesday that Bryant was hired.
However, Roman posted on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon that Bryant was the selection.
Sources have confirmed to The Columbus Dispatch the information in Roman's tweet is accurate, but Robin Davis, Ginther's director of communications, would not confirm it Tuesday afternoon and said only that an announcement about a decision is being scheduled for later in the week.
In addition, The Dispatch spoke Tuesday afternoon with Moore, who confirmed he found out around noon that Ginther had not selected him either.
"I was disappointed," Moore said. "I had hoped to have the opportunity, but I'm very busy in Dallas and I've got to keep working."
Moore said he was positive that Bryant would be a good fit for Columbus.
"I'm sure she'll do fine," he said.
A town hall was held virtually on May 19 and three of the four finalists were invited to visit Columbus the following weekend for in-person interviews with Ginther. Diggs, who is under investigation by the Florida Ethics Commission over allegations of personal use of a city-issued credit card, was not invited.
Following those interviews, Ginther apparently made his decision.
Bryant takes over a division that has had a number of incidents which have drawn public scrutiny, including the shootings of Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man, and Ma’Khia Bryant, a 16-year-old girl. The city’s response to protests during the summer of 2020 also resulted in a federal judge saying officers “ran amok” in a ruling that barred officers from using chemical sprays or non-lethal force to break up peaceful, non-violent protests.
The chief position is a five-year term, with the first year being probationary. There is an option for a second five-year term.
Bryant will also have to become a certified Ohio police officer within her first year.
Nana Watson, president of the Columbus chapter of the NAACP, has high hopes for Bryant's tenure.
Watson said she wants to see Bryant "change the culture in the department, whatever that means to her."
She is hoping for transparency and community engagement from the new chief. Watson hopes Bryant will be a "thought changer" for Columbus.
Hana Abdur-Rahim, a community organizer who believes in abolishing the police, said she thinks Bryant's appointment is indicative of surface level changes within the department.
"I will say that I don't think that having a new chief of police will change the policing climate in Columbus," Abdur-Rahim said. "I think that at this point it doesn't matter who will be put in the position because of the police force that we have."
Abdur-Rahim said she hopes Bryant is not made into a martyr or a scapegoat as she takes on her new role.
"It's not our job to continue to uproot and change things to make the world better, and it just seems like everyone wants black women to put on our capes and save the day," she said. "So I hope she's not set up for failure, and I hope there are actual systemic changes that she can bring to the table."
Jasmine Ayres, a local activist and member of the recently formed Columbus Police Accountability Project, said she and others also worry about Bryant being set up to fail.
"It's a long road ahead of us," Ayres said. "We hope she's invested in speaking with the community and heavily, heavily listening."
Ayres said while having a Black female chief is "historic," whether Bryant is successful will really depend on how Ginther and City Council support her.
"When you don't have a boss supporting you in the ways you need to be supported, it's frustrating," Ayres said. "I really, really hope the city is willing and able to support and protect her."
During the town hall, Bryant said she is someone who believes in being transparent and in being proactive with discipline. She also said that supervisors have to be responsible for keeping an eye on the officers they oversee, especially in looking for warning signs of potential issues.
Bryant also said during the town hall that she intends to support officers who make the right decisions but will hold officers to a "high standard of excellence."
Keith Ferrell, president of the local Fraternal Order of Police Capitol City Lodge No. 9, said he had not heard officially that Bryant had been named chief but looked forward to working with her.
"We look forward to continuing to try and move forward and make the city a better place," he said.
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(Columbus Dispatch reporter Tim Carlin contributed to this report.)
