Ohio capital to conduct national search for new police chief

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The mayor of Ohio's capital city says a national search will be conducted for the next chief of police.

The announcement by Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther marks a departure from past practice, when new chiefs were chosen from the ranks of existing officers.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Police Chief Kim Jacobs will retire next month after nearly seven years on the job. Jacobs was the division's first female chief.

A change in city Civil Service Commission procedures allows the search to be expanded beyond Columbus, though it doesn't rule out internal candidates.

Ginther says he wants someone committed to increasing diversity among department officers and aligning police practices with community expectations for police work.