City gets new police chief

In his State of the City address last month, Mayor Michael Coleman hinted that he was close to announcing a new police chief that would tailor crime fighting strategies to the specific needs of Columbus, while managing the $252 million budget closely and diversifying the police force. Deputy Chief Walter Distelzweig said he is ready to tackle those tasks.
“We are promoting Deputy Chief Distelzweig to lead this Division to be the best in the nation,” Coleman said. “Deputy Chief Distelzweig brings forward 36 years of experience within the division and is committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe. He will focus on getting results, managing police resources, and making sure that our officers have the tools they need to be the best.”
Distelzweig will be Columbus’ 31st police chief, following Police Chief James Jackson, who is retiring after holding the post for 20 years. He rose through the ranks of the Columbus Police Department, entering as a police officer in 1972, working in the helicopter unit from 1976 to 1984. He was promoted to sergeant in 1984, lieutenant in 1988, commander in 1992 and deputy chief in 1998. Distelzweig said that he has learned a lot from Jackson’s more than 50 years at the police force.
“Chief Jackson maintained the division and started new units like the bike unit that was specific to certain neighborhoods,” said Distelzweig. “He had a vision for the Columbus Police Department for the times and for the future. He was right on the money.”
Though Distelzweig was present when President Barack Obama spoke to 26 new police recruits who graduated last Friday, it was with the knowledge that no new recruitment class will be budgeted for the next year. Distelzweig, who officially takes over as chief on March 17, said his most immediate concern is the department’s budget right now and in future years. “We have to look closely at manpower and staffing. We have to make sure that people are working in the right places at the right time,” he said. “I’m not only looking at the 2009 budget, but also the future. So I will be working with the administration to try to stay lean on the budget.”
He said he also plans to provide a more strategic approach to lowering the crime rate in Columbus. “Lowering the crime rate is always a concern. We have crime strategy meetings every week and will tailor our strategies to the different neighborhoods in the city,” he said.
Christie Angel, vice president of Sean P. Dunn & Associates, led the Columbus Police Chief Nominating Committee, which began reviewing candidates in January. According to the Columbus Civil Service Commission, eligible candidates for the police chief’s office must be a current deputy chief or commander with the Columbus Division of Police. Candidates must have a State of Ohio driver’s license, a bachelor’s degree and one year continuous service as a deputy chief or five years continuous service as a commander. Distelzweig is the first police chief to be governed by the 1999 Charter Change, in which individuals selected as chief will be appointed to a five-year term with the possibility of appointment to a second five-year term based on job performance. He said that he doesn’t think that term limits will affect his effectiveness as chief.
“This is something we will have to look at in the future, but I don’t think it will be an issue,” he said.
Safety Director Mitchell Brown, who along with Coleman, selected Distelzweig as chief said that he hopes he [Distelzweig] will be at the forefront as a community leader.
“There is great leadership within the Division of Police and we are proud to promote Deputy Chief Distelzweig, who has the qualities to lead our nationally accredited Division of over 1,900 police officers,” said Brown. “Chief Jackson served this City with honor and distinction for 51 years and leaves a great legacy of public service to the City of Columbus.”
Distelzweig, 57, is a 1969 graduate of Bishop Hartley High School and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ohio Dominican College and a master’s degree in human resource administration from Central Michigan University.