Editorial:

Students should be recognized as county residents

Published Aug. 27, 2010

Recall the February SWAT raid in a Columbia resident's home over alleged marijuana charges: the search warrant was more than eight days old, only a misdemeanor amount of marijuana was found and the officers present shot the suspect's dogs in front of his child.

The event sparked a controversial outrage in Columbia and on the Internet, and was condemned as an act of police misconduct. Unfortunately, according to a new ordinance recently passed by the Columbia City Council, only victims, friends and family of the victim, attorney of the victim, eyewitnesses or residents of Boone County may file such reports. The ordinance was created in response to a California resident's complaint to the Citizen's Police Review Board suggesting that the officers involved in the SWAT raid should be tested for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Although it could be argued the California resident had no real standing on the issue, the problem arises when many MU students are not considered Boone County residents either. Our reporter asked the council members if we were considered residents under this ordinance because we live here most of the time. Their response: They hope we are, but the issue will ultimately be decided by the Citizens Police Review Board. Well, for our sakes, we hope we are too.

Rather than just hope for a right to complain about the way the laws we live under are enforced, we want to see an amendment in that ordinance that declares as long as we have a mailing address in Columbia, we can reserve the right to voice a concern or complaint of misconduct. The board should be clarifying laws, not making them.

Frankly, we are appalled we weren’t considered in the first place. MU students make up a heavy chunk of the city, live here for most of the year, but likely still have their parents' address on their licenses. Does this mean we can’t complain when we think something is wrong?

Although the Columbia City Council should have thought about it, the better question is, where were our student representatives when this ordinance was being passed? If you've charged yourself with a position in the student government, specifically in the Campus and Community Relations Committee of the Missouri Students Association, you should be out there representing students and speaking up at these meetings. Otherwise, we might end up with potentially dangerous laws and ordinances that allow a board of unelected citizens who might not consider the words us "out-of-towners" valid.