Columbus official retires after reprimand over neglected complaints

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

City officials say the Columbus public-safety director is retiring after being reprimanded because thousands of calls to a complaint center under his department’s jurisdiction went ignored.

Mitchell Brown announced his retirement Thursday after 14 years as public-safety director. The announcement follows reports that nearly 6,500 calls to the city’s 311 call center had been neglected since 2007. Many of those calls reported drug dealing, gang activity, neighbor disputes or illegal fires.

In a statement Thursday, Brown didn’t give a reason for his retirement decision but said he’d been honored to serve Columbus residents.

Brown’s retirement will take effect Oct. 3. He previously served as director for Ohio’s Department of Public Safety, registrar for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, state lottery director and safety director in Cleveland.