COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus officially has a new Chief of Police. Chief Elaine Bryant, along with 1st Assistant Chief Lashanna Potts, was sworn in Tuesday.
“We're very excited to be in our uniforms today. We're excited to be part of the team!” said Chief Bryant.
Bryant was chosen to become the city's police chief in July 2021, who chose Potts as her assistant weeks later.
So why are their positions just becoming official? It was part of the agreement for the out-of-state chiefs to take over, so long as they passed their Ohio Police Officer Training Academy Exam.
The course is close to 200 hours and focuses a lot on Ohio rules
“It was important for us to do because we wanted to make sure we were certified in the State of Ohio. So here we are!” Chief Bryant said.
Chief Bryant is not only making history as the first chief from out of state, but she is also the first Black woman to be chief of police in Columbus.
“There are little girls in this community who now know that they can be Chief of Police and, when looking at Chief Bryant and First Assistant Chief Potts, that's historic and we're proud of that,” said Mayor Andrew Ginther.
Looking to the future, Chief Bryant says one of her big goals is transparency and community involvement.
“We know that everything that we do will affect the community, so we want to include them in our decision making so, again, that transparency, that support, and bringing them to the table before we make major decisions,” said Chief Bryant.