Columbia's police chief says the department is chipping away at a staffing shortage that is costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in overtime and leaving officers exhausted. Police Chief Jill Schlude emphasized how the department is trying to hire more officers during a town hall style event, Wednesday night.
Schlude and Ward 5 Councilman Don Waterman answered questions from the public during a Let's Talk Local event south of town. Let's Talk Local is an initiative the City launched in January. Councilmembers and city staff hold monthly meetings meant to connect residents with city leaders.
Schlude said the department is making progress in hiring officers. Right now, there are 14 officer vacancies and two sergeant vacancies, Schlude said. That's down from 29 officer vacancies in September 2024.
Columbia Police work 12 hour shifts. Some officers have to work mandatory overtime every day, according to Matt Nichols, president of the Columbia Police Officers Association (CPOA). That is leaving officers physically and mentally exhausted.
"At the end of a 12-hour day you're exhausted," Nichols said. "And in many cases, these folks are having to work even later because maybe we don't have enough people to help cover the call volume."
The Missourian reported that the police department paid its employees the most overtime of all City of Columbia offices for the 2025 fiscal year, which started in October. The police department spent more than $400,000 on police overtime in five and a half months.
Officers don't get a chance to learn their beat, Schlude said, because they are bouncing from call to call. Around 2014, the department started making cuts to units because of staffing shortages. That included a unit where officers develop relationships with downtown business owners.
On Friday, 14 officers graduated in the first class from the city's new in-house training academy. The police department is partnering with Lincoln University on the academy.
Schlude touted the academy Wednesday night as an important tool in fighting the shortage. The goal is to get recruits to stay because they feel part of a group, Schlude said. She pointed out police in other cities, including St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield, already have in-house academies.
It also saves the department money. A police lieutenant told the Columbia Missourian the department saves about $1,100 per recruit. Previously, officers trained through the Law Enforcement Training Institute (LETI) at MU Extension.
In-house training teaches recruits how to police in Columbia, Schlude said. Some of that includes more technical things like how to fill out a police report and conduct traffic stops, Schlude said. Waterman said the in-house training will help officers feel like they are part of the department from the beginning.
"Now they can get that training and get an introduction to our systems and the way we do it from the beginning," Waterman said.
Crime has become a focal point of the Columbia mayoral election. Columbia businessman Blair Murphy and candidate Tanya Heath are challenging Mayor Barbara Buffaloe in the April 8 election. Lucio Bitoy is running as a write-in candidate. Murphy, who has raised a remarkable amount of money for a city election, said public safety is his top priority. Murphy said the police department needs to hire more officers and make its presence more visible downtown.
A string of high-profile shootings over the past couple of years, including some where University of Missouri students were shot downtown, have raised concerns among residents. A 2024 city survey found that many people are unhappy with how the city tackles crime.
Of the people surveyed, 62% said they are dissatisfied with the city's efforts to prevent crime, and 42% said they felt unsafe walking in downtown Columbia. The city said 855 households filled out the survey.
Buffaloe told KOMU 8 last week the police department is fully funded but has struggled with recruitment. She said city leaders are working to tackle the issue, pointing to pay increases for some officers in April 2024.
On Monday, the City Council announced the first administrator of the Office of Violence Prevention, which Buffaloe requested in October 2023 after a shooting left a 3-year-old dead. City Manager De'Carlon Seewood announced D'Markus Thomas-Brown as the administrator of the office.
A news release from the City said the Office of Violence Prevention will help develop strategies that reduce violence and improve public safety and well-being by working with law enforcement, community organizations, government agencies and key stakeholders.
Thomas-Brown was previously the regional director for Good Dads, an organization promoting positive fatherhood. He is also a member of the Columbia Police Department Chaplain Program.
Buffaloe told KOMU 8 last week the police department is fully funded but has struggled with recruitment. She said city leaders are working to tackle the issue, pointing to pay increases for some officers in April 2024.
On Monday, the City Council announced the first administrator of the Office of Violence Prevention, which Buffaloe requested in October 2023 after a shooting left a 3-year-old dead. City Manager De'Carlon Seewood announced D'Markus Thomas-Brown as the administrator of the office.
A news release from the City said the Office of Violence Prevention will help develop strategies that reduce violence and improve public safety and well-being by working with law enforcement, community organizations, government agencies and key stakeholders.
Thomas-Brown was previously the regional director for Good Dads, an organization promoting positive fatherhood. He is also a member of the Columbia Police Department Chaplain Program.
