Columbia leaders institute new safety measures
After a fatal shooting over the weekend in downtown Columbia, community leaders have quickly come together to implement a number of new measures to improve public safety in Columbia.
A mass announcement was made this afternoon of new initiatives that are being implemented by the City of Columbia, the University of Missouri, University of Missouri Police Department (MUPD), the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office.
These include:
- Increase staffing at the Columbia Police Department and MUPD.
- CPD and MUPD will continue the increase in foot patrol in the downtown region during peak weekend hours.
- Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude has confirmed that the Missouri Department of Highway Patrol will provide officers to patrol downtown during peak hours of the weekend.
- Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey also will provide additional deputies to patrol downtown Columbia.
- Meeting with U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri Matt Price to discuss federal prosecutive resources and other programs to improve public safety.
- Meeting with Governor Mike Kehoe to discuss state prosecutive resources and other programs to improve public safety.
- Support the Ride Home program that returns people who come to the city for health care to their home community outside of Boone County.
- Request that every downtown business owner complete a letter of enforcement.
- Conduct a review of city ordinances to improve crowd control and safety – especially downtown. Immediate actions will be taken when appropriate.
- Conduct a review of downtown to address environmental issues, including lighting, business hours of operation, individuals sleeping on or blocking sidewalks and traffic flow for vehicles. Immediate actions will be taken when appropriate.
- Conduct an internal audit of all cases handled by the Boone County Prosecutor’s Office involving weapons offenses downtown as well as trespass, peace disturbance, and misdemeanor assault cases county-wide to ensure these offenses are being prosecuted consistently, effectively and in alignment with office goals and community safety priorities. Immediate actions will be taken when appropriate.
