A group of former Columbus public safety leaders and a former mayor came together Thursday for a wide-ranging discussion that included rising violence and proposed changes to police oversight. Former Republican Mayor Gary Lashutka suggested the narrative of police violence in Columbus is an urban myth and that reform proposals, including the charter amendment for a civilian review board that will be voted on by city voters in November, are based on emotion, not reality. The rest of the panel argued that officers are being painted with a broad brush, which is interfering with their valuable work. They encouraged City Council and Ginther’s office to meet with them to discuss the issues they presented.