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Law enforcement honored by American Legion
In the last year, Deputy Michael Weiner of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) made 35 felony arrests, 116 misdemeanor arrests, responded on 1,004 dispatched runs, and 1,043 pickup runs – just within Prairie Township. Residents nicknamed the deputy “Sheriff of Prairie Township.” Prairie Township Trustee Steve Kennedy said they could not ask for a more dedicated, hardworking deputy. Weiner is one of 16 law enforcement professionals honored by the American Legion Don Gentile Post on June 23. The Don Gentile Post 532 has held the Law Enforcement Community Service Awards & Banquet since 1981. This year individuals are being recognized from the FCSO, Grove City Division of Police, Franklin Township Police Department (FTPD), the Columbus divisions of police and fire, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP). The gumshoe of Galloway Detective James Plumb began his career with the FCSO in 1996. A few years ago Plumb joined the detective’s bureau and was assigned to the Westside. In February, he worked on a burglary case out of Galloway where a suspect was caught. Plumb retrieved GPS logs from the suspect’s probation officer, and spent hours cross-referencing the data with local reports of burglary, auto theft and other crimes. The detective connected more than a dozen crimes to the suspect. The suspect is awaiting trial. Vigilant officers of Franklin Twp. Officer David Ratliff has served Franklin Township for 22 years. Jim Timko, FTPD police chief, said Ratliff displays a great ability to identify, pursue and apprehend suspicious individuals. Last year Ratliff observed three individuals cutting into a trailer and allegedly stealing tools. Ratliff single-handedly apprehended all three men in nearby woods. Timko said many burglary cases have been cleared, sometimes within hours of happening, due to Ratliff’s vigilance. Officer Jeffery Francies joined the FTPD in 1985. As the court liaison officer, Francies managed more than 800 court cases last year. Through his efforts he saved the township around $75,000 in various costs. Francies also oversaw the impoundment of nearly 300 vehicles in the township. According to Timko, Francies is professional and proficient -–documenting all vehicles and either returning them to owners or disposing of them in accordance with state laws. Sheriff’s office clean-up the county In March, the FCSO and OSHP conducted “Shield Operation” for the western part of the county. Chief Deputy Gilbert Jones and Major Geoffrey Stobart spearheaded this project. Their efforts led to the arrests of 55 people driving under the influence, 173 persons driving with suspended licenses and 98 felony arrests. The operation also resulted in the recovery of three stolen cars, nine weapons and $25,000 in cash was seized, and generated 42 drug cases.
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