University of Missouri President Mun Choi declared a crime crisis in Columbia during a press conference Monday, even though numbers from the Columbia Police Department seem to contradict his claims.
Choi sent a letter to city and county leaders on Sept. 27 calling for them to address what he called the “rampant crime problem” in the city after a shooting downtown killed Stephens College student Aiyanna Williams over the weekend.
The letter called for immediate action -- more policing, hiring more security officers, eliminating policies and practices that Choi claims “attract criminals to the region,” passing a loitering ordinance, cleaning up homeless encampments and prosecuting crimes to the fullest extent of the law.
But when asked what policies and practices he believes “attract criminals,” Choi said he had none to cite.
“That is why I am asking (local leaders]) to evaluate the processes that we have and the practices are we giving the impression to potential criminals that this is a region that doesn't take crime enforcement as well as the punishment that comes with it seriously,” Choi said.
When asked if gun control should be considered in policy evaluation, Choi said current laws should be prioritized.
"I believe that we need to enforce laws that we have,” he said. “The person that ... shot (Williams) and two other individuals was a lawless person. The law did not stop that person. But what we need to know is what kind of repercussions are there going to be? And there has to be severe repercussions so that criminals know that this region, the state of Missouri, takes its laws very seriously, and that they will be held to account to the full extent of the law.”
Homelessness concerns
During the press conference, Choi said students and businesses in the area have also raised safety concerns about homelessness in Columbia, including on campus.
“Since 2019, we’ve measured the number of arrests and trespass issued to homeless individuals, (and) they've gone up dramatically,” he said.
Choi said homeless encampments pose a safety and environmental hazard.
Choi said he wanted to facilitate conversation with local leaders to find solutions.
“I believe that city leaders are doing the best they can,” he said. “But I call on the city leaders to take this matter very seriously and continue to invest in public safety and to take immediate and long-term actions to improve public safety in the city.”
Choi said he scheduled a meeting with Mayor Barbara Buffaloe Monday to further discuss his letter.
There is currently no evidence that the shooting incident over the weekend involved people who are homeless.
City response
In a Facebook post, Buffaloe announced Saturday she will convene a task force of city and county stakeholders to “address safety in a comprehensive and coordinated way.”
Choi and MUPD Chief Brian Weimer will represent the school on the task force.
The city previously assembled a task force in 2013 to examine crime in Columbia. That body’s final report made recommendations based on coordination and awareness and proposed actions such as creating youth facilities and training, building trust between community and local law enforcement and holding high-risk offenders more accountable.
In an email obtained by KBIA, Buffaloe responded to Choi’s concerns with information on how the city has worked to curb crime. She said there have been no shootings downtown since June, calls for services are down and police response time has improved.
CPD has increased the number of night patrol officers to curb crime downtown. She also said in her post that the downtown area had not seen such an incident since June.
Crime numbers
Choi referenced crime numbers during Monday’s press conference that he said were provided to him by CPD Chief Jill Schlude, showing crime against property is up 40%. CPD confirmed that crimes against property are up in the area. However, the city’s own crime trends dashboard shows crimes against property are down compared to last year. And a 2024 KBIA report found crime in the city to be on a general downward trend, despite the city's police union claiming otherwise.
Choi said regardless of the data, the human impact should be equally considered.
“Statistics cannot be used solely as a reason for us to move away from what needs to be done in the city of Columbia,” he said.
Fifth Ward Councilor Don Waterman said measures like increased police presence and the Flock Safety system are decreasing crime downtown.
“Looking at the police department's new Crime Information Portal, you can see we're down on murders,” Waterman said. “Reports of shots fired year to year and year to date were down a significant amount.”
Waterman said despite the decrease, Saturday’s shooting should still be addressed.
“I am fully on board with both President Choi and the mayor that enough is enough, and we need to do something,” he said.
Third Ward Councilor Jacque Sample said the Columbia community should keep Williams’ family in mind during this time.
“Right now, the focus needs to really be on the family that lost their loved one,” she said. “We need community leaders to come together and discuss how to move forward, to come up with a plan ... instead of expecting the police department to predict or immediately respond or stop all these things.”
Previous discourse about safety in Columbia
Choi shared the same concerns during a presentation at Columbia Chamber of Commerce quarterly breakfast on Sept. 15. He said gun violence, homelessness and general crime in downtown were cause for concern.
Choi said he also spoke with Gov. Mike Kehoe about his concerns.
“He shares that deep commitment (to safety), and he has promised to convene a meeting of local leaders, university leaders and business leaders to develop solutions,” he said.
Choi said MUPD plans to reallocate current officers to increase their presence in the area.
MUPD only has jurisdiction on MU’s campus but has recently collaborated with CPD and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office to patrol the area.
