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File #: 2167-2023    Version: 1
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
File created: 7/11/2023 In control: Public Safety Committee
On agenda: 7/31/2023 Final action: 8/2/2023
Title: To authorize the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a contract with Crowd and Conflict Management Ltd. to implement the first phase of "ENABLE Columbus," a project that aims to develop research expertise and enhance crowd management strategies, foster dialogue between police and demonstrators and safeguard First Amendment rights in the City of Columbus; to authorize the expenditure of $94,200.00 from the General Fund; to waive the competitive bidding provisions of the Columbus City Codes; and to declare an emergency. ($94,200.00)
Attachments: 1. Funding Attachment-Crowd and Conflict Management Ltd.pdf, 2. Bid Waiver-Crowd and Conflict Management Ltd.pdf
Explanation

BACKGROUND: The policing of First Amendment crowd events has been a major driver of recent challenges to police legitimacy both in Columbus and nationwide. In response to the civil unrest of 2020, police agencies across the US have therefore been re-evaluating their crowd management strategies. Accordingly, the Columbus Division of Police has developed ‘ENABLE Columbus’ which is a partnership project between Crowd and Conflict Management Ltd (CCM Ltd), the Columbus Division of Police (CDP), The Ohio State University (OSU), Keele University, and the City of Columbus.

ENABLE Columbus aims to utilize this knowledge production partnership to embed and enhance the CDP’s new science led approach to crowd policing, develop new research expertise based at OSU, gather primary data on the effectiveness and limitations of the new approach, use this evidence to further enhance CDP’s crowd management strategies, foster dialogue between police and demonstrators, help safeguard First Amendment rights, and position the City of Columbus as providing the nationally leading approach to crowd management policing.

This legislation authorizes the Director of the Department of Public Safety to enter into a contract with Crowd and Conflict Management Ltd. for the implementation of phase one of the 'ENABLE Columbus' project.

The purpose of phase one is to undertake preliminary consultancy, training and research that will constitute the development work that is necessary to undertake phase two of the project. Both phases are designed to position Columbus as a national leader in evidence-based crowd management, while also establishing the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at OSU as a globally renowned research center in this field.

Professor Stott is the Director of CCM Ltd and is the world-leading expert in crowd psychology and policing. He has worked with governments and police forces internationally and is at the forefront globally of developing new science-based a...

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