Columbia’s police chief says while current resources do not allow for a full-time dedicated downtown unit, CPD is temporarily reassigning a patrol sergeant to focus full-time on overnight downtown operations.
Police chief Jill Schlude says that on most Friday and Saturday nights, nearly half of CPD’s on-duty officers are reallocated downtown. She says the resources downtown are about double what they’ve been in recent years. Chief Schlude says CPD plans to reestablish a dedicated downtown unit in the summer of 2026.
The chief says Saturday’s shooting marks the fourth, fifth and sixth uninvolved bystanders struck by gunfire downtown since March 2024. She also says violent crime is disproportionately higher downtown compared to previous years.