CPD, True North of Columbia partner, pass out ‘stop tops’ to Downtown bars

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department and True North of Columbia have a longtime partnership, but roughly a year ago the two started a collaboration aimed at distributing "stop tops."

The stop tops are stickers that work as covers for beverages, aimed at preventing drinks from being tampered with or drugged. The covers contain a hole in the middle that allows people to still drink through the cup with a straw.

Executive Director of True North of Columbia Michele Snodderley said the idea to begin distributing the covers happened in 2023.

She said some of their college-aged employees reported that either they or someone they knew had someone tamper with their drunk. Snodderley said at first, she wasn't sure how well received the covers would be.

"We thought OK, they're gonna probably take the stop tops and probably wear them as a sticker instead of putting them on the cups," Snodderley said. "But that that wasn't the case. We had people who come up to us and hug us and share their story about what is happening and it's both men and women."

She said the organization works to pass the stop tops out to bars in Downtown Columbia during popular times such as after football games, during the University of Missouri's homecoming and when students return to campus. This will include on Thursday for Halloween.

She said roughly every bar has received them and the organization hopes to spread awareness about the importance of safe drinking.

"We're hoping that when we're down there passing those out, we're not only just raising awareness, but letting people know that there's somebody down there who's watching out for them," Snodderley said.

According to Domestic Violence Detective with CPD Brian Graff, police have received three reports of drink tampering in 2024. All three cases occurred in September and October. Since 2021, there have been 41 reported cases.

In 2021, there were 13 cases. In 2022, there were 15 cases and 2023 saw a slight decline, with 10. The University also said it received multiple reports of drugged drinks in September 2021, and asked people to come forward with information about the incidents.

Graff said they see a spike in cases typically when students return to campus.

"If you look at the numbers throughout the entire year the fall... what once once the bar activity increases, right with students coming back, that's typically when we see a little bit more of a spike," Graff said.

MU senior Brenda Kudelka said she was a victim someone drugging her drink during her sophomore year.

"Someone most likely put something in my drink unknowingly and there's been a lot of things going on, especially my earlier years here," Kudelka said.

She said she remembers attending a fraternity party with her friends, taking a few sips of her drink, and losing her vision and ability to walk. Since then, she and her friends have made sure to utilize the stop tops anytime they go out and drink and have an increased sense of being careful around their drinks.

"Just watch whoever makes your drink for sure even, though it's a bartender, you never know. I mean that's just how it is," Kudelka said. "I honestly have not seen as much Downtown, but I wouldn't doubt that it does happen since my prior knowledge of how much it's happened my freshman and sophomore year."

Graff said there are steps people can take to ensure their safety while drinking besides using the stop tops. Those include:

• Never accepting a drink from someone you don't know;
• Keep your drink with you at all times; and
• Make sure you go out with people you know and trust.

"Do what you can to stay safe and you know, know your limits," Graff said. "So, I think if you know your limits and you have an idea of what you can can consume and stay safe, it also helps you be able to figure out when something else is going on."

According to Graff, many cases of drink tampering CPD deals with are cases where people are underage drinking. He said police, in those cases, will not punish people for being a minor in possession of alcohol. Graff encourages people to not let anything deter them from reporting if they believe their drink has been drugged.

Graff said CPD will have extra officers Downtown on Halloween.