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Wednesday, July 30
Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
    Laura “Mikki” Elliott

    Desperate Search Underway for Missing Mom Who Vanished After Leaving Portsmouth Rehab

    Domestic Meltdown: Woman Flees in Underwear with Toddler, Man Arrested After Chase

    “This Is My Yard!” — Woman Threatens Resident, Ends Up in Handcuffs

    TikTok Terror: 12-Year-Old Girl’s Disturbing Videos Trigger Police Response

    Sticky Fingers

    ‍♀️ MYSTERIOUS MISSY STRIKES AGAIN: Snack Bandit Lounges for 4 Hours, Then Makes Her Move🥩🧀 

    Tragic Discovery

    🚨 One Gone, One Saved: Overdose Calls Highlight Ongoing Drug Crisis in Portsmouth 

    🚨 Gun Panic at Farley Square! —Cops Called In 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 07/29/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    OSP Investigates Crash

    Tragedy Strikes Twice: Two Fatal Creek Crashes in a Single Day 

    OSP night 1

    💥Semi Rollover Dumps Hazardous River of Milk!💥 

    SCDN File Photo

    🚨 Caught in the Act: Armed Man Snaps After Catching Girlfriend in Bed with His Buddy — Ends in Arrest 🚔 

    Good Kids CPS

    Kids in Crisis: First Responders on the Front Lines of Portsmouth’s Youth Emergency 

    BAD BEHAVIOR

    Violence at Kelli Apartments: Man Accused of Attacking Woman and Grabbing Child 

    Recovery Housing Scioto County

    “We Can Shut Down a Bad Diner—But Not a Bad Rehab?”: Powell Pushes for Recovery Housing Reform 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 07/28/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    Nightmare Roommate: Woman Wakes to Sexual Assault in Her Own Bed 

    Recovery Housing Scioto County

    💥 Brawl at Rehab: Man Left Bloody, One Jailed After Fight at McDermott Facility 

    sheriff cruiser 23

    OD Scare Outside Funeral Home: Deputies Step In, Urge Public to Call for Help

    Jennifer Walsh

    Portsmouth Mom Busted After Child Shows Up Alone at Hospice — Again! 

    What to do if you suspect child abuse

    BREAKING: Allegation of Child Sex Assault Reported in Portsmouth – Here’s What You Need to Know 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    Merit Smith

    Merit Smith Chosen to Fill Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

    Scottie Powell

    “Run on Vision, Not Attacks”: Powell Offers Advice to Candidates Vying for Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

    🌿 Bamboo Gets Fast-Tracked at City Hall — But the Homeless Crisis? Still Stuck in Neutral 

    Who Will Carry Cathy’s Torch? GOP to Choose Coleman’s Replacement July 29 

    Cathy Coleman

    Commissioners Back Senior Housing Project Championed by Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    “Bad and Quirky” Lucasville House Targeted for Demolition as County Cracks Down on Blighted Properties 

    ‘A Great Addition to Heaven’: Commissioners Honor Cathy Coleman, Reflect on Her Legacy and Who Might Carry It Forward 

    Cathy Coleman

    Scioto County Mourns Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    🚨TRIAL TWIST! Horton Corruption Case on Ice—For Now 

    Cathy Coleman

    Remembering Scioto County Commissioner Cathy Coleman

    somc 2

    🏥 Scioto County Approves Hospital Tax to Keep Medicaid Dollars Local 

    No Kings

    Scioto Dems Snort at “Well-Funded” No Kings Protest Claim

    Cathy Coleman

    Cathy Coleman Still Fighting: Family Shuts Down Hospice Rumors, Says Recovery Still Underway

    County May Tap Opioid Settlement Funds to Finish MARCS Tower Project 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘Small Steps, Big Faith’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Edges Closer to Recovery 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘Praise God!’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Remarkable Progress After Harrowing Weeks

    Cathy Coleman

    Cautious Hope and Harsh Realities: New Details Emerge on Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Condition 

    Scioto County Commissioners Cancel This Week’s Meeting 

    Robert Horton

    Sudden Twist: Horton Court Dates Scrapped Ahead of Trial 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘A Sign of Hope’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Small Improvements Amid Ongoing Critical Condition 

  • Feel Good
    A family of two parents and a young boy and girl are playing laser tag with vests and laser blasters in an arena.

    What Activities To Offer at a Family Fun Center

    Shawnee State University SSU

    Shawnee State University Joins New Athletic Conference, Adds Football to Lineup 

    BREAKING: Commissioners Make Shocking Decision—Halloween to Remain on Halloween 

    Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia 

    Scioto County Champs: Lady Trojans and Word Wizards Bring Home the Gold 

    “I Held Those Keys Tight” — One Man’s Harrowing Journey from Addiction to Hope 

    Three girls in quinceañera dresses stand beside one another. The one in middle has a gold dress while the other two wear pink.

    Tips for Selecting the Color of a Quinceañera Dress

    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

    An angler standing at the edge of a lake just after sunset with three fishing rods resting on the ground next to him.

    Night Fishing: Who Is It for and How Do You Start?

    good cops

    Cops Rescue Lost Man 

    good cops

    Kid Misses Bus, Deputy to the Rescue 

    A group of people stands outside with their arms in the air. They hold their hands together, making a pyramid shape.

    Hidden Gems: Community Strategies for Mental Wellness

    good cops

    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

    Good Samaritan 2

    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

    A bearded man is sitting on the floor and comforting his dog in a wheelchair. The dog has his ears pinned back.

    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

    U.S. housing market

    Tips for Making Your New House Feel Like a Home

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    A man approaching the bowling lane with a red bowling ball as his three friends in the background cheer him on.

    How Bowling Can Improve Your Mental Health

    good cops

    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

  • Obituaries
    Gail Lynn Harris

    Gail Lynn Harris 70 of sciotoville

    Erik Lael Bryant

    Erik Lael Bryant, aged 54 of Wurtland

    Wanda F. Bender

    Wanda F. Bender, 94 of Portsmouth

    David Gershon McFadden, 84 of Wheelersburg

    Leroy Slusher

    Leroy Slusher, 89 of Minford

    Joseph Michael Ober

    Joseph Michael Ober 53 of Oberling

    Helen E. Brown, 89, of McDermott

    Dannette Ann Lowery

    Dannette Ann Lowery, 55 of Mentor, Ohio

    Kathryn Jane Zaayer

    Kathryn Jane Zaayer, 87 of Otway

    Kyle E. Redoutey

    Kyle E. Redoutey, 30

    Myrtle Maxine Carver Boggs

    Myrtle Maxine Carver Boggs, 85 of South Portsmouth

    Patricia Ann Robinson

    Patricia Ann Robinson 73 McDermott

    Barbara Williams

    Shirley Jean Hackworth, 89 of Franklin Furnace,

    Judith Marie Fox

    Judith Marie Fox 81 of Wetumpka

    Janet Sue (Brisker) Risner

    Janet Sue (Brisker) Risner, 83 of Minford

    Prudence Ruth West

    Prudence Ruth West, 82 of Portsmouth,

    Kaitlyn Nicole Murphy

    Kaitlyn Nicole Murphy, 22 of Newcomerstown

    Ricky Edwin Johnson

    Ricky Edwin Johnson 72 of Portsmouth

    Alana Dustianna Meshelle Greene

    Alana Dustianna Meshelle Greene, 32 of Portsmouth

    Estel C. Harr, 68 of Portsmouth

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Is It Time To Defund the Police?

SCND Investigates: Defund the Police vs Support the Police- part 1

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
5 years ago
in Public Safety
Defund Police Support
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Defund the police! Support the police! If you’ve been listening lately, you’ve likely heard both rallying cries. In fact, our analysis of recent Google search data showed a tie between the two terms in Ohio.

As a result, we asked two local law enforcement leaders some hard questions about why so many people are angry with law enforcement. We also wanted solutions. In our special three-part series, we examine the problem, the solution, and what the media can do to help.

RELATED POSTS

Merit Smith Chosen to Fill Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

Desperate Search Underway for Missing Mom Who Vanished After Leaving Portsmouth Rehab

Domestic Meltdown: Woman Flees in Underwear with Toddler, Man Arrested After Chase

Defund The Police

Let’s start by breaking down what exactly ‘defund the police‘ means. For some, it really means just getting rid of the idea of a police force completely. For most, it means limiting the use of a police force to investigate violent crimes like murder, sexual assault, and armed robberies. They see a separate, perhaps unarmed, agency dealing with petty theft, traffic issues, and drug crimes. Some support eliminating criminal penalties for drug abuse completely.

Many feel that law enforcement is over-funded at the expense of social services.  They say this attitude, combined with systemic racism in law enforcement, is what led to the death of George Floyd. Floyd died as a result of injuries sustained during an arrest in Minneapolis back on May 25.

That incident happened just days before local resident Kevin Bailey was critically injured in custody at the Scioto County Jail and later died in a Columbus hospital.

The Leaders

Scioto County Daily News asked unfiltered questions of two local leaders:

  • Captain Debra Brewer, the Interim Chief of the Portsmouth Police Department
  • David Throroughman, the current head of Shawnee State University’s Department of Public Safety and the presumptive next Scioto County Sheriff.

We were pleased and surprised to find both willing talk about hot-button topics.  What did they have to say? Keep reading.

Why Do People Want To Defund The Police?

The first question seemed simple, ‘Why have so many people want police departments defunded?’ The answers aren’t so simple. Here’s what the two leaders in charge of making future local police policies have to say.

Captain Debra Brewer

The head of the Portsmouth Police Department blamed bad cops for hurting the reputations of good officers. “The push to defund the police is due to the fact that after the Floyd incident, all officers are viewed as racist, power-hungry individuals who do whatever they want.”

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Brewer said she understands the anger but wanted the public to know, “The majority of officers do their job above and beyond what is called for but that doesn’t bring media attention. We do not ask for media attention. It’s our job, it’s what we do. It’s who we are.”

When protesters gathered outside the Portsmouth Police Department on May 31,  Captain Brewer came out and spoke to the crowd. Brewer and her officers knelt in solidarity with marchers and she promised to root out any “bad apples” in her department.

David Thoroughman

David Thoroughman said it is a basic human instinct to fight injustice. “This movement is occurring because when we see injustice, we want to do what we can to ensure that this does not occur anymore.”

Thoroughman said it’s unfortunate that some want to use a tragedy to further personal agendas. “The media and some in politics polarize terrible events in attempts to achieve power and money. It is not difficult to make it appear as though the horrible crime in Minneapolis was more commonplace. Sadly, this is because it occurred more often in our not-too-distant past.”

Both leaders said they understand the anger, but how can we fix the problem?

In part two of our special series, we talk solutions.

Tags: CrimeFeaturedPortsmouth OhiosafetyScioto County
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