Mayor Brian Treece wanted answers late Monday night.
After more than a week of news that the number of officers allocated to community policing would be reduced and their distribution changed, Treece grilled City Manager Mike Matthes and Police Chief Ken Burton about the changes at the end of a packed city council agenda.
Columbia City Council members hadn't been a part of the decision to change the department's community policing efforts, and they put a stop to the process until the public could receive more information.
Treece suggested a vote to ask Matthes and Burton "to put on hold any change in staffing pattern, any change in assignments, any change in the (Community Outreach Unit), its rebranding, any change at all until we get the community policing report and plan of action that we asked for."
Council members agreed and seemed confused by the decision to alter the department's community policing efforts.
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