Finding the space too small by the 1990s, the department opened the current Columbus Division of Police Headquarters in 1991.

[6] On October 21, 1999, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the city based on its findings that "CPD officers are engaged in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, making false arrests and lodging false charges, and conducting improper searches and seizures in violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution.

[8] An effort to have the Division sign a Consent Decree failed, in part because the CPD union blocked it.

[9] In 2002, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit after the city made changes on the use of force and the handling of complaints against officers.

[10] In June 2018, officers of the Division's Vice Unit improperly arrested Adult Performer Stormy Daniels at a strip club.

[11] Later in the year a supervisor who had been recommended for firing by the Chief of Police due to discrimination charges was reinstated by the Safety Director.

Officer Andrew Mitchell, a thirty-one-year veteran of the force, was charged by the United States District Attorney with kidnapping under the color of authority (law).

On May 31, seven cases of excessive police force during the protests were reported by the local news site Columbus Navigator.

[14] On the following day, Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus City Council denounced the police chief and his officers for their aggressive tactics.

Ginther created an independent review board for police actions: he asks protesters to report instances of excessive force by police during the protests, to be reviewed by a civilian from the Department of Public Safety's Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance Office.

[17] In 2021, a federal judge imposed an injunction on the CPD's use of tear gas and rubber bullets on protestors.

The officer, a seventeen-year veteran of the department was arrested and charged with murder, felonious assault and dereliction of duty.

Police officers at the scene had not turned their body cameras on and did not give first aid to the dying man.

On August 30, 2022, officer Ricky Anderson shot and killed Donovan Lewis while serving a warrant in the early hours of the morning.

The program allows these officers to receive lump sums of $1 million, with annual raises of 3 percent.

This optional benefit allows members who are eligible to retire to stay on duty serving their communities for up to eight years.

[24] The fund receives monies from active member and their employers and distributes benefits to retirees and other beneficiaries and directed by the board of directors.

[25] The cost of the fleet equals the base salaries for 70 police officers at the top of the nine-year union step schedule of $92,934 a year.

[28] Standards and testing for police are set by the statewide Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy.

Homicide, Robbery, Gun Crimes, Drug Task Forces, Sexual Assault and Missing Persons are only some of the investigative units assigned under this subdivision.

These bureaus include units such as the Crime Lab, Fleet, Records, Identification, Evidence, Impound, Therapy Dogs, and Court Liaison.

The 911 Call Center, SWAT, Homeland Security and Special Events are managed in this subdivision[29] The City of Columbus announced that in 2021 the Communications Bureau would be transferred to the Public Safety Department.