Columbia Police are looking to re-engage with residents in a series of rebranded public meetings named “Building Stronger Beats.”
Each of the four meetings is in a police beat area and will feature a beat commander presenting crime data before taking questions from interested residents.
These meetings replace the Police Department’s Town Hall meetings, which are held twice a year. The most recent was this spring.
Columbia Police Department spokesperson Bryana Larimer says the renaming of the meetings is meant to better represent the spirit of cooperation Columbia Police hope to foster with residents as well as boost turnout:
“These meetings are really important for our citizens and officers to come together to be able to work together to ask questions, to find out what’s going on in their neighborhoods and to build a better partnership to help reduce crime in our town.”
The first meeting will be held tonight in New Haven Elementary School. The meeting begins at 7p.m. and will be hosted by Lt. Eric Hughes. All residents are invited to take part.