Columbus police more cautious with themed cruisers
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The Columbus Division of Police's Black History Month-themed cruiser from February. Screenshots via CPD Twitter video
The Columbus Division of Police is taking a more careful approach to its themed police cruisers in the wake of a controversial Black History Month design earlier this year, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The concept of decorating a decommissioned police car for various causes like Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Veterans Day is meant to boost the department's community relations effort, but for Black History Month it became a self-inflicted PR headache.
Flashback: The February cruiser was immediately criticized as tone deaf and Vice News showed showed that a quote attributed to Martin Luther King Jr. on its window was likely never said by the civil rights icon.
- An artist also condemned the city for including his MLK mural in a promotional clip without seeking permission. The mural depicts Tyre King, a 13-year-old shot and killed by a Columbus police officer in 2016.
State of play: Internal emails obtained by Axios via public records request show the planning process for a holiday-themed decal last year involved a discussion between officers, police spokespersons and a vehicle mechanic supervisor.
- As a result, they chose "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" and a snowman on the hood instead of Santa Claus.
Yes, but: The Black History Month decal appears to have been decided with comparatively little input.
Zoom in: Sgt. Joe Albert, an aide to chief Elaine Bryant, emailed colleagues on Jan. 4 with the suggested color scheme, MLK quotes and hood emblems.
- When the vehicle mechanic supervisor emailed back saying the team would get started, Lt. Chris Lieb replied: "I double checked and as long as the wrap has the below requested items they don't need to approve it."
- That was the extent of the email discussion on the design.
The intrigue: Albert told Axios this week he doesn't know what or who "they" is referring to in Lieb's response. He added that Bryant, the division's first Black female chief, was not involved with the cruiser's design.
A month later, with the Vice News article about the misattributed MLK quote circulating within the department, commander Melissa McFadden complained about the fallout.
- "This is embarrassing," McFadden wrote in an email to Lieb. "Chris who is responsible for the design?"
- There's no record of Lieb responding.
What they're saying: Albert tells Axios the division now works to ensure "our cruisers represent the members of the community they are intended for."
- He says Bridgeway Academy helped design an Autism Acceptance cruiser unveiled in April, for example.
- The Pride Month design had input from the department's LGBTQ+ liaison officer.