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Columbia Residents, Policy Makers Discuss Community Policing Program

Meiying Wu
/
KBIA

People living Columbia’s 1st Ward met Wednesday to review and improve the community-oriented policing program. This program promotes a working relationship between the residents and police to reduce issues important to community. Those attending the meeting discussed the importance of strategic and problem-oriented policing.

Sgt. Robert Fox is leading the project. He says while he wants to accommodate the community’s desires there are restrictions.

“Right now, the police department is struggling to provide basic police services just because the city is outgrowing the department, but anything that we’re going to add in terms of tasks or whatever to the police department then that has resource implications.”

Zach Rubin is the chair of the Commission on Human Rights. He believes these meetings are a good first step.

“They’re making an effort to incorporate, at least what the represented portion of the community feels about this transition to deploying more community-oriented policing norms in the department.”

The meetings will continue with the 6th Ward tonight at the Boone County Historical Society at 6 p.m. The ideas brainstormed will go into a plan which Sgt. Fox will present to city council on August 31.

Noah Taborda is a Sports Broadcasting Journalism major who hopped on the short flight from Chicago to hone his trade at the University of Missouri. He hopes to cover a meaningful moment or two in his future career.