Columbia’s mayor and the UM System president have issued a joint news release that says while Columbia is a wonderful community with a vibrant downtown, there are crime issues that must be addressed.
The joint statement follows this weekend’s horrific deadly triple shooting downtown, which killed Stephens College senior nursing student Aiyanna Williams.
Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe and UM System President Dr. Mun Choi have announced numerous immediate measures to fight crime in downtown Columbia. They include increasing staffing levels at the Columbia Police Department and MUPD, additional Boone County Sheriff’s deputies to patrol downtown Columbia and getting help from the Missouri State Highway Patrol to provide troopers to patrol downtown during peak weekend hours. Mayor Buffaloe and President Choi also plan to conduct a review of city ordinances to improve crowd control and safety.
They also plan to meet with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe to discuss programs to improve public safety.