Columbus' non-fatal shooting team will expand to the city's West Side.
The program devotes the same resources to solving non-fatal shootings as the city puts towards homicides.
"These investigators are not simply solving additional shootings, they're helping us identify patterns, connect crimes, and find repeat violent offenders," Mayor Andrew Ginther said while announcing the expansion Tuesday. "When detectives consistently work in the same neighborhoods, people get to know them. Relationships develop. Residents share more information and tips, and most importantly, they see results."
Ginther credited the non-fatal police team with helping dramatically reduce homicide rates in the city. As of Monday, the city had 55 homicides this year, down from nearly 150 by the same date in 2021.
Responding to a question about Flock Safety cameras, Ginther also ranked the license-plate reading technology among the top factors reducing homicides. The use of Flock Safety cameras has come under fire in many communities, including Columbus, due to safety concerns and a lack of clear legal regulations on the cameras.
"I'm not interested in companies. I could care less who the company is. It's about the technology and the tool that it provides law enforcement," Ginther said.
He said that this community "reject(s) false choices," when it comes to the cameras.
"We shouldn't have to choose between privacy and public safety. We can do both. And we have made significant changes to the way this program is used. We're doing ongoing audits. We're holding folks accountable," Ginther said. "This technology is saving lives. And I'm not going to take tools away from law enforcement who are doing incredible work."
The question about the controversial cameras came a half hour into a news event lauding the success of the non-fatal shooting pilot.
The program began in South Linden and Milo Grogan in March of 2024. Ginther said as of the end of 2025, the team there had a 94% solve rate for non-fatal shootings. Meanwhile, police citywide solved a little more than half of non-fatal shootings.
The West Side — known to police as Zone 3 — was chosen as the next target area because almost 75% of recent non-fatal shootings there have gone unsolved.
"The data tells us that Zone 3 is the next place where the resources can make the biggest difference," Ginther said, stressing that the initiative will continue in South Linden and Milo Grogan.
Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant said that when her officers solve a non-fatal shooting and take that offender off the streets, they prevent potential retaliatory shootings and future homicides.
"We know that this works, we know the team concept works, and so we're excited about being able to expand this program," Bryant said. "Ultimately, our goal is to have a non-fatal shooting team in every zone."
