• News
  • Business
  • Donate
  • Features
    • Opinions
    • Arts & Style
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Interviews
    • Audio
  • About Us
  • New Americans Business Magazine
  • Contact
  • News
  • Business
  • Donate
  • Features
    • Opinions
    • Arts & Style
    • Video
    • Photos
    • Interviews
    • Audio
  • About Us
  • New Americans Business Magazine
  • Contact
Popular
Recent
Comments
Tags
  • U. S. 2020 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program opens Wednesday, Oct, 3

    October 1, 2018

    Feyi Tolani: An Advocate-In-Nursing

    November 1, 2018

    America’s Immigration Debate: The “Danger of Telling a Single Story.”

    February 13, 2017
  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

    May 12, 2025

    Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

    May 10, 2025

    Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

    May 9, 2025
  • Good job, sir!

    January 12, 2021

    I'm call Haji I live the dadaab comp I am a refuge ...

    October 12, 2020

    Narayan vai, you spoke the truth about the importa ...

    September 6, 2020
  • Zora's House Zoning Code Zimbabwe Youths Youth of the Year Youth Foundation Youth Development of Columbus Youngstown Younger Ohioans Young At Art You Don’t Know Yoruba Club 21 Yoga International Day Yoga Day Yoga and Marathon X Gender Passport Wuyue Dance Worthington Christian School World Refugee Day World Radio Day World Mental Health Day World Hygiene Day World Hijab Day World Food Day World Cup 2022
  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

  • Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

  • Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

  • Bill Gates: 20 Years To Give My Wealth Away

  • Lt. Governor Tressel Announces Expanded Access to ...

  • The Ballot Box: A Kaleidoscope of Our Collective C ...

  • Governor DeWine Rejoices With The New Pope Leo XIV

  • Kiriji Memorial College Set of 1972 Seeks Educatio ...

  • COTA Expands Late-Night Service Hours

  • Mother’s Day Sales Projected to Reach $34.1 ...

  • COTA Expands Late-Night Service Hours

  • Kiriji Memorial College Set of 1972 Seeks Educatio ...

  • Governor DeWine Rejoices With The New Pope Leo XIV

  • The Ballot Box: A Kaleidoscope of Our Collective C ...

  • Lt. Governor Tressel Announces Expanded Access to ...

  • Bill Gates: 20 Years To Give My Wealth Away

  • Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

  • Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

  • Mother’s Day Sales Projected to Reach $34.1 ...

Previous Next

 CRIS, Columbus Division of Police build Community Bridges

Posted by: New Americans Magazine , March 13, 2023

By ONIWASU Taiwo AKINLAMI

Community Refugee Immigration Services (CRIS), an affiliate of Church World Service (CWS), an independent non-profit organization that serves the refugee and immigrant populations in Central Ohio, held community dialogue on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Karl Road. The focus of the dialogue, themed, ‘Building Community Bridges’ was ‘to discuss how to build bridges between local law enforcement and refugee and immigrants and neighbors.’

The community dialogue was in furtherance to the mission of CRIS ‘to help refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community.’

The dialogue, which kicked off at about 3.30PM and ended about 6.00PM with light refreshment served to the participants was well attended by immigrants from diverse communities in the city of Columbus. Deliberations were facilitated by Blaise Baraka, Community Mobilization Officer with Church World Service((CWS) and was addressed by two exceptionally experienced police officers from the Columbus Division of Police, whose culminative experience as police officers is over 30 years.

Officers Donald Fletcher and Valentine Wayne volunteered and were invited to address the dialogue as part of their pet project to create awareness on the expectations of the law and its enforcement for refugees and new immigrants in the city of Columbus.

Most of the participants, who spoke through interpreters expressed concerns about traffic laws and regulations in the city of Columbus. Their questions range from whether a resident of the city could drive with an international driver’s license to whether a person could drive with a Temporary Permit without a licensed driver in the car.

Participants were also interested in knowing how best to renew their car number stickers with Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).

The officers informed participants that it was a criminal offence in the city of Columbus and Ohio State to drive without a driver’s license or drive with a Temporary Permit without a licensed driver in the car and this could lead to an imprisonment upon conviction.

From the New Americans Magazine investigation, Ohio Revised Code 4510.12 defined driving without a license as anyone who “operates a motor vehicle on a public road, highway or private road intended for public use without a valid driver’s license” or permit.’

According to www.columbuscriminalattorney.com, ‘this is a criminal offense and if you are convicted, it can have serious consequences that will follow you for long after the charges have been dealt with.’

The officer also informed that what is known as International Driver’s License is not known to the traffic law and regulations of the city of Columbus and therefore it is not accepted as a valid permit to anyone to drive.

The officers noted that it was also against the law to drive a car with expired car number sticker, which may necessitate being pulled over by a police officer and receiving a ticket.

The officers noted that before residents put their cars on the road they must have a valid driver’s license, extant car insurance policy and valid car number sticker, noting that it is the requirement of the law to have all of these in the car while on the road.

On what happens when someone relocates from another state in the United States of America with a valid driver’s license. The officers responded that such a person only needs to take their valid license to BMV for a replacement 30 days upon establishing residency in Columbus, Ohio.

The officers, who guided one of the participants to renew her car number sticker online during the dialogue informed that the same could be renewed online by visiting the website of BMV (https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/).

The participants were informed that when an officer pulls over a driver and he/she is not able to provide a valid driver’s license, the car is either impounded or the driver is asked to get a licensed driver to drive the car out of the place where the car is pulled over. The officers also informed them that it is not unusual to take the suspect into their patrol van and handcuff him/her while running his/her information in their database.

The officers advised that it is best for residents to adhere to the law as it is not within the discretion of a police officer to release without booking anyone, who drives without all the necessary documentation as a police officer may become liable if such person so released is involved in any form of crash while still driving without a driver’s license.

The officers also informed that where a crash happened between two drivers and both parties have their complete documentation, and no one is injured and none of the driver is under the influence of drug or alcohol, parties are not arrested and are only encouraged to contact their insurance companies for necessary arrangements for repairs.

Most of the participants expressed concerns on the stringent nature of the traffic law and regulations in the City of Columbus and asked if some concessions could be granted to new immigrants, who are trying to find their feet in the community.

They noted for example that new immigrants should be permitted to drive with Temporary Permit without a licensed driver in the car considering that it is necessary for them to move around to enable them make ends meet without becoming a liability to their relatives or government upon their arrival in the United States of America.

In response to the foregoing the officers noted that their role is to enforce the law and the concerns of the participants can only be presented to the legislative arm of government.

At the conclusion of the dialogue, participants expressed deep satisfaction over the educative nature of the dialogue and expressed the desire to have more of it in the future.

The officers were elated and encouraged by their attendance and promised to further collaborate with CRIS to organize more of such programs and address other areas of the law, including domestic violence.

In a brief interview with the New Americans Magazine at the end of the program, Officers Donald Fletcher and Valentine Wayne noted that they took the responsibility of civic education as it relates to law enforcement and new immigrants as a pet project from their experience with refugees and immigrants, who avoidably run afoul of the letters of the law due to ignorance of the same.

The officers noted that since the ignorance of the law is not an excuse to its breach, it is important to educate new entrants into the community and the United States of America on the basic laws, governing their interactions with the community.

The public-spirited officers noted that new immigrants run afoul of the traffic laws and regulations most of the time and this is avoidable. They are interested in preventing good people from running afoul of the law and jeopardizing the smooth enjoyment of their stay in the city of Columbus.

Support the New Americans magazine to continue to serve our community with precise news that affect the new American, immigrant and refugee community. https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=8LHFS78NRNJJY&source=url

Post Views: 2,236

Tags: Building Bridges

Share!
Tweet

New Americans Magazine

About the author

Deba Uwadiae is an international journalist, author, global analyst, consultant, publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the New Americans Magazine Group, Columbus, Ohio. He is a member of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association, OCLA.

Related Posts

Sankalp Shah, Athlete and Entrepreneur Overcomes Barriers

Sankalp Shah is from Broadview Heights, Ohio. His career journey began about 15 years ago when ...

Mental Illness: Causes and Prevention

By Bishnu Luitel, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Suicide is a serious consequence of mental health is ...

Ohio Honors Holocaust Survivors and Victims at the 45th Annual Commemoration

By Peaches Calhoun and Okon Ekpenyong Under the solemn, echoing dome of the Ohio Statehouse, a ...

Governor DeWine Announces Statewide Expansion of Mobile Response and Stabilization Services

By Okon Ekpenyong Monday, April 21, 2025, at the Hopewell Elementary School in Dublin, Ohio, Go ...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Popular
Recent
Comments
  • U. S. 2020 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program opens Wednesday, Oct, 3

    October 1, 2018

    Feyi Tolani: An Advocate-In-Nursing

    November 1, 2018

    America’s Immigration Debate: The “Danger of Telling a Single Story.”

    February 13, 2017
  • Community Center Playgrounds Opens Registration fo ...

    May 12, 2025

    Ohio Tourism Day Holds May 15

    May 10, 2025

    Columbus Department of Neighborhood Appoints 8 Nei ...

    May 9, 2025
  • Good job, sir!

    January 12, 2021

    I'm call Haji I live the dadaab comp I am a refuge ...

    October 12, 2020

    Narayan vai, you spoke the truth about the importa ...

    September 6, 2020

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • June 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • March 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016

Contact Form


1+1=


American international journalist and author of "The Immigrant on Columbus Way: A True Life Guide To Settling Down As A New Immigrant To America "

Current/Past Issues

  • DailyNews
  • Hotels
  • Hotwire
  • Merchantic
  • Reference
  • Thesaurus
  • Urbanspoon

All used images are licensed by The New Americans Magazine.

Copyright © 2024 The New Americans Magazine | Layout and design by LiQiD inc