Andrew Mitchell

The involvement of the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in the affairs of the Columbus Police Department stretches back more than 20 years. Every instance to their intervention follows the same pattern. Local outrage leads to court cases which then lead to attorneys involved which then leads to the Justice Department stepping in. What follows next is a change in presidential administrations which leads to a change priorities, or in the case of the Trump administration outright removal of the pretense of priorities, which is then followed by half measures or consequences.

“Hide nothing from the masses of our people. Tell no lies. Expose lies whenever they are told. Mask no difficulties, mistakes, failures. Claim no easy victories...” – Amilcar Cabral

The family of Donna Dalton-Castlebury expressed tenative relief this week Andrew Mitchell, a 31 year police veteran and vice cop, was arrested on charges by the FBI. He was charged in connection with his apparent pattern of forcing alleged prostitutes to give him sexual favors in his car in exchange for not being arrested. He is being held without bail and the City of Columbus is “reviewing” weather to overturn some or all of the prostitution arrests he made in the last year. Mayor Andy Ginther quickly put out a self-congratulatory press release asking for more information.

The FBI has the vast resources of the federal government and tremendous power. Their recent investigation into the activities of the Columbus police Vice Squad seems to be deliberately focused on a single arrest, that of former Presidential Mistress and Adult Entertainer Stormy Daniels, and the attendant political ramifications and fallout.

Police have a term for murdered sex workers. The term is “Less than Dead.” This is the literal station house and locker room phrase and has also been used to describe the level of zeal when a crime is committed against sex workers. It was not suprising hearing those words echo from the bushes in Upper Arlington this morning. Viewing this latest case, and the context and the official reaction makes the echos loud.

This summer has been a public relations nightmare for the Columbus Police. It is hard to get the public to believe that you are doing good things when your number one copsplainer is in jail awaiting trial on multiple child pornography charges. Seriously uncomfortable questions might be asked if they promote the 2nd shift Special Victims Unit Sgt Terry McConnell who pays minors for sex, or maybe not.