Sixth Ward candidates differ on crime prevention

Hoppe and Robison are running for Sixth Ward City Council representative.

By Ryan Schmitz

Published March 9, 2009

Public safety is an issue that Sixth Ward City Council representative Barbara Hoppe, who is running for re-election, and challenger Rod Robison have opposing views.

Hoppe said the municipal government has added officers and reorganized the Columbia Police Department during her time on the council. The city received recognition from two organizations for its efforts.

"We have done a tremendous job in the last two years of increasing and reorganizing the police department," she said.

Hoppe said the CPD has brought in law enforcement experts to assess the department's performance and has also taken steps to gain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Robison said he would like to see an increase in the size and funding of the department and suggested reorganizing the force into smaller divisions.

"City government is talking about cutting the police department's budget next year, but they really need more funding," he said.

Robison also said opening precinct offices and keeping a central location makes more practical sense than having one departmental building located downtown. He said it would do more to reduce crime throughout the city, and more officers covering a smaller area would allow for greater monitoring.

"Police officers are running all over town now," he said. "Their response times would go down if we had precincts. If people start getting arrested, the quick response of the police would definitely deter crime."

Robison said he has his own ideas about how to reform CPD but said he would defer to incoming police chief Kenneth Burton on matters involving the size, structure and funding of the department.

"A lot of things are going to change with the new chief," Robison said. "He knows what he needs, and if he can get the job done without hiring new officers, I'm all for it. "

Hoppe said the city should emphasize community policing, which involves residents assisting law enforcement by monitoring their neighborhoods.

"Part of community policing is educating people on what they can do to make their neighborhoods less of a target for crime," she said. "These include locking your doors, having someone pick up newspapers when you're gone and trimming your bushes. In our neighborhood, everyone knows everyone else, and we all watch out for each other."

Hoppe referenced an event in her neighborhood as support that community policing produces results.

"A neighbor and I recently stopped a bike theft without assistance from the police because we noticed an unfamiliar person walk into the area empty-handed and leave with a bike."

Robison said he questioned the viability of Hoppe's plan.

"I talked to all four finalists for police chief, and they all said that community policing is one of those terms that can basically mean whatever you want it to mean," Robison said.

Hoppe spoke with the candidates and said they emphasized structure over size. She said Robison's focus on expanding the size of the department is a "narrow" approach.

"I don't think he knew in detail what has been done with the police department," Hoppe said. "Sometimes people just repeat a mantra without having information."