Local police union gets new leader after president retires
The union representing Columbus police and other law enforcement officers in Franklin County has a new leader.
Brian Steel, 45, took over as the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capitol City Lodge No. 9 earlier this month. Steel replaces Jeff Simpson, who retired from Columbus police and the union after a 25-year law enforcement career.
Steel served as executive vice president of the union, the second in command, under Simpson and as acting president for about nine months in 2023 while Simpson was on medical leave.
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The local union represents more than 4,300 police officers in Franklin County.
Steel is a United States Marine Corps veteran and has been a police officer for more than 23 years, 18 of which have been with Columbus police. He is currently a sergeant and has degrees in business, criminal justice and a Master's degree in public administration.
"My number one focus is continuing to fight and maintain the contractual rights of our members," Steel said. "It’s important people know we are a union that represents cops, but we are police officers that serve the public and that’s not lost on me."
Steel said repairing relationships with elected officials and communities that have remained strained since 2020 is another of his top priorities.
"We still have scar tissue from 2020 lingering out there," he said. "We’re trying to heal those wounds because if we work together it benefits everybody."
The FOP holds elections for the entirety of its executive board in the November of even-numbered years.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police union has new leader after president retires
