The City of Columbia’s 2018 Citizen Survey revealed that downtown safety and street conditions are primary concerns for Columbia residents.
The survey was presented at Monday’s pre-council meeting. It showed a decrease in satisfaction with street conditions, city maintenance services and downtown safety. Council member Betsy Peters says public safety is a concern for more than just the city council.
“We have our new chief so I’m sure he’s looking at that along with safety in the entire city,” Peters said. “So, [we will] probably continue what we are doing and look to see how we can improve.”
One category in the survey, “feeling of safety in downtown Columbia at night” decreased six percent in the last year. The category that decreased the most was condition of streets at 16 percent. Peters says adequately addressing public safety and increasing police and fire department personnel would require more funding.