Editorial: Greektown: the city's issue

May 2, 2008

For years, the Greek community has complained they feel ignored when it comes to safety issues. Past Missouri Students Association presidential candidates have promised to work with the City of Columbia to improve conditions within Greektown, but as of now the streets are still dark and the sidewalks are still broken.

Greek students and Missouri Students Association members teamed up on Tuesday night for the first MSA Greek Safety Walk, searching for safety concerns throughout Greektown and along Frat Row on College Avenue. The MSA Department of Student Services invited the MU Police Department, MU Campus Facilities and the Columbia Police Department to tag along, but MUPD and MU Campus Facilities declined because Greek properties aren’t under their jurisdiction. The Columbia Police Department cancelled plans to attend that afternoon with a request to reschedule, but DSS Director Jordan Paul said there was insufficient time to do so.

Most importantly, no representative from the city was present. Whether they weren’t contacted about the walk or just decided not to come, this is incredibly significant as the City of Columbia is the party actually responsible for fixing these problems.

The first step to making Greektown a safer place is, essentially, education. Leaders of Greek chapters should inform their members that CPD and the City of Columbia — not administrators or MUPD — are in charge of maintaining safe conditions throughout Greektown and along Frat Row. Students should be directed to address their safety concerns to city council members and CPD.

Second, the line between MUPD and CPD responsibilities across campus and Greektown is a blurry one. A discussion between the two departments would prove beneficial — we as students would appreciate a written breakdown of which department would step in when safety issues requiring immediate attention arise.

If we want to ensure safety for Greek students, we need to make sure we’re asking the right people to address concerns. Greek houses are not considered part of campus, which means that contacting MUPD and MU Campus Facilities won’t bring any requests to fruition. Greek students who want broken sidewalks fixed, streetlights installed or missing valve covers replaced need to notify their Columbia City Council representative with concerns about their safety. Greektown falls in the First Ward, represented by city councilman Paul Stutz; Frat Row residents should contact Sixth Ward city councilwoman Barbara Hoppe with concerns.

And after Greek students make those calls, the city needs to follow through. Sturtz has already done an excellent job reaching out to MU students, listening to our concerns and asking for our support — we’re asking him and Hoppe to reach just a little farther and ensure the safety of MU’s Greek community.

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Editorial: Greektown: the city's issue

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