CID commits investment to downtown safety and security

The Downtown Columbia Community Improvement District is moving forward with an investment in the safety and security for the downtown area.

At a board meeting held Tuesday, CID leaders, along with a newly formed downtown coalition of property owners, outlined a plan that will direct significant funding toward improving public safety in the district.

The plan includes:

• Allocating 35% of annual CID revenue to safety and security efforts,
• Investing $500,000 or more from reserves in cameras and other security measures and
• Reviewing and reducing administrative costs to free up additional resources for safety initiatives.

The announcements follows weeks of public discussion and concern about downtown safety. Leaders hope these steps will encourage other city officials, community organizations and residents to get involved and build on CID's efforts.