University of Missouri Police Department will patrol Greek Town

Columbia City Council voted Monday on an agreement between the City of Columbia and the University of Missouri.

The council passed the memorandum of understanding the University of Missouri Police Department would become the primary responder for calls in Greek Town.

The change comes after a forty-member task force focused on improving student safety and enhancing the fraternity and sorority experience at the university made recommendations.

Jeff Pitts from the Columbia Police Department said the change of jurisdiction would not have any major impact on the department.

Sara Diedrich from the University of Missouri Police Department said the department has talked about making the switch for a while.

“The time just seemed right to make it happen,” she said.

“What this means is that if there’s an emergency or non-emergency, students living in Greek housing, when they dial 911 the first law enforcement department to respond will be University police,” she said.

Both departments are still be able to work together if needed. Both departments also said they have had a long standing functioning relationship with each other.

Diedrich said having MUPD patrol Greek Town makes sense because it is students who live there.

“The University of Missouri Police Department has had a long standing relationship with the Greek houses. I mean we work often with Greek students doing educational programming, training, throughout the school year,” she said.

Under that same agreement, MUPD will also be the primary responder for locations in the heart of Greek Town, including Richmond Place Apartments, Children’s House Montessori, Evans Scholars, and St. Thomas Newman Center.

City Council also voted on another agreement which would allow MUPD to respond to calls at eight buildings at Campus Lodge.

“What this means is our officers will respond to those eight buildings because they are being leased by the university for our residential life program,” Diedrich said.

Areas at the apartment complex outside of those buildings, like the parking lot, are still be under CPD’s jurisdiction.