Revelers and other downtown visitors can expect a higher police presence during Homecoming weekend.
The University of Missouri’s annual Homecoming events this week have already drawn throngs of visitors to Columbia, and the crowd sizes are expected to continue to grow through Saturday night, when Mizzou football plays the University of Massachusetts.
“We’re able to field more officers on the regular shifts this weekend than we were able to field last year,” said Mark Fitzgerald, Columbia Police Department assistant chief. “We will have additional officers in on overtime to help with the crowds downtown on both Friday and Saturday nights.”
The Police Department has been implementing a new safety initiative downtown, started in part as a response to a June 8 shooting in the 800 block of East Walnut Street, which injured one individual and damaged three cars.
Police Chief Jill Schlude discussed the efforts at an Aug. 4 Columbia City Council meeting, noting that the department’s staffing has increased enough to provide a “proactive presence” downtown.
Part of its proactive presence includes enforcing misdemeanor crimes: open alcohol containers, peace disturbances, assaults, public urination, littering, DWI and pedestrian safety.
Pedestrian safety is a large concern this weekend as crowds gather for Homecoming. Columbia police are addressing pedestrian traffic violations with a two-pronged approach: to curb crowds from spilling into the street after bars close, and to continue their enforcement of traffic laws.
Since June 8, the day of the shooting at Walnut, police officers have made 332 “proactive enforcement” actions in the downtown area on Friday and Saturday nights between the hours of 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., Fitzgerald said.
While a wave of visitors into the downtown area could be a concern for crowd control, the weekend could also give businesses a boost.
“Homecoming definitely brings a whole new edge to bringing in a lot more people,” said Megan McConachie, a communications and outreach supervisor at the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau. McConachie explained that the night game aspect of the weekend will also encourage more visitors to stay until Sunday instead of leaving town Saturday.
The tourism bureau works with local hotels to offer visitors an idea of remaining reservations in the city, and McConachie said there would most likely be little to no open rooms in their partnering properties as the week continues.
Mizzou has hosted a football game at Memorial Stadium every Saturday in September, and the Homecoming game will continue that trend. Kickoff against UMass is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
McConachie said the tourism bureau will have a better idea of the exact number of people that visited Columbia during the month in mid-October.
“That’s when we’ll really be able to see what it really looks like to have a game every weekend,” she said. “I think that it’s going to be a pretty significant mark in what we would usually see in September.”
A meeting hosted by The District on Monday at The Blue Note offered business owners and residents a chance to hear from city officials and other organizations about safety downtown. The Police Department was one of the organizations involved in the meeting and shared data relevant to safety concerns, including crime rates.
“We have a lot of work to do as a community to continue to improve safety throughout the city, including downtown, but we’re making progress.” Fitzgerald said.
