Columbia crime discussed among mayoral candidates
Issues related to crime include geographic policing and downtown cameras.
Published March 5, 2010
As the mayoral election approaches, many candidates are saying Columbia has a crime problem.
Columbia, according the Missouri Uniform Crime Reports, was victim to 4,357 part one offenses, which are combinations of violent and property crimes, in 2008. In 2009, Columbia had 4,419 part one offenses. Although statistics can partly back up these statements, Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jessie Haden said these figures could be misleading.
"It would be misleading to say that because population is up in Columbia," she said. "You have to take all of that into account. We've been doing a lot of trying to set the record state. I think the election brings a lot of strong feelings. Crime's a big platform."
Geographic policing and the downtown patrol unit have led to an increased police presence, Haden said. With more officers on the street, more arrests are being made. But the number of crimes being committed is not increasing that much, she said.
"We have a lot more activity," Haden said. "If I'm out stopping cars, I'm going to find more people with warrants for their arrest and more people under 21 having a drink in their car. There is just more of those things that are going to come across if you're more proactive."
Geographic policing uses a beat system for each area of the city. A certain number of officers are assigned to an area so they can always be around a location.
Although she said she doesn't think Columbia has a crime problem, Haden said there was a perception of crime in the city.
"I think the perception is that it's way up," Haden said. "It's been a trend since the early '90s of increased media coverage of crime. The other thing that's happened is Columbia has grown a lot."
Glen Cameron, Maxine Gregory chairman of journalism research, said he doesn't think crime is over-covered.
"I don't think it's overly sensationalized in Columbia," Cameron said. "I think it's a key role of providing surveillance of the community, so people can make their own conclusions."
Instead of focusing on what happened at the scene of the crime, Cameron said he would like to see journalists examine why the crime happened and the consequences it had on its victims.
"It's a fuller spectrum, but it takes a longer form of journalism, and I think people land on quicker hits for journalism," Cameron said.
Cameron said this longer-form journalism would give citizens a better understanding of crime, and there would be less paranoia surrounding it, but he wouldn't want to see an "essay on mugging."
The downtown area has gained a particular bad rep, Haden said. But not all downtown employees feel the district is dangerous.
"I always feel really safe down here," Ingredient Manager Everett Metcalf said. "I haven't seen any hardcore crimes or anything."
Metcalf said the only crime he knew of was when Ingredient's outdoor chalkboard was stolen. As for putting cameras downtown, Metcalf said he doesn't agree.
"I don't think it will stop crime," Metcalf said. "It kind of feels like (the book) 1984. As a tax payer, I don't want to pay for it."
Although arrests have jumped in the last year, Haden said the presence of geographic policing and the downtown patrol unit will eventually lower the arrests because people will stop committing crimes.
"It's a long term project," Haden said. "Eventually will the numbers go down and stabilize out? Yeah, they will. I think they'll still be high this year for the things like open containers and minor in possessions."