The Columbus City Council President Shannon G. Hardin has urged the Columbus Police department to take steps in hiring women from the Somali-American community, while applauding Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan’s plan to reconsider the hijab ban in the department.

“Columbus’ Division of Police must reflect the people they serve. It is time to maximize the diversity in our police department and show respect for all faiths,” said Shannon Hardin.

“I applaud Chief Quinlan for reconsidering the hijab ban and I hope Columbus police take steps to hire some of our 40,000 Somali friends and neighbors to join us in building safer neighborhoods.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ohio provides $500,000 Grants for Extradition of Dangerous Wanted Offenders

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has announced that funding is now available to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for the cost of extraditing dangerous wanted offenders back to Ohio to face criminal charges

Governor DeWine secured $500,000 in the 2020-2021 biennium budget to fund Ohio’s new Prisoner Extradition Reimbursement Program, which will reimburse Ohio law enforcement agencies that have limited funds to extradite suspects arrested out-of-state or in another jurisdiction on warrants for Tier I offenses.

Tier I offenses are defined as felony offenses of violence outlined in ORC 2901.01(A)(9); felony offenses that involve substantial risk to public or officer safety; and the misdemeanor offenses of domestic violence and aggravated menacing.

“We know that some law enforcement agencies in Ohio don’t always have the resources to travel across the state or country to take an offender into custody, which is why these new grants will be instrumental in ensuring that more dangerous offenders return to Ohio to answer for their crimes,” said Governor DeWine.

“We also believe that this program will enhance public safety by increasing the number of warrants entered into the state and national warrant databases.”