City of Columbia to review update from 2014 community violence survey

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A 2014 City of Columbia violence prevention report has been updated for the new decade with the summary set to be reviewed by the City Council Monday.

The report features guidelines for recommendations from the 2014 Mayor’s Task Force on Community Violence. Monday's report will feature updated recommendations for the city and barriers to recommendations. It will also build on a community violence update from the Columbia/Boone County Department of Health and Human Services in 2021.

According to city documents, the City Council initially requested the update in October 2025.

The Mayor’s Task Force on Community Violence focused on four main pillars for addressing violence:

• Prevention
• Intervention
• Enforcement
• Re-Entry

Former Columbia City Council member and task force co-chair Michael Trapp told ABC 17 News he felt the 2014 task force was helpful.

"We identified areas where we could move forward as a community, and then the community made a few modest steps in those directions," Trapp said.

Trapp highlighted that the group's improvements included increasing funds for local youth programs like the Boys & Girls Club and passing the Fair Hiring Law in 2014, which made it illegal for employers to ask an applicant for their criminal history before a job offer is made.

Prevention focuses on improving job training and violence prevention programs, like community outreach events and neighborhood watch. The report highlights programs like the city's annual Regional Economic Development Inc. grant for local businesses and ARPA funds. The programs have totaled $205,000 and $750,000, respectively.

A goal for prevention includes a gun violence program analysis by the National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform. The study will focus on the landscape of gun violence in the area to highlight root issues and community needs.

Intervention addresses youth gun violence, including funding for the Boys and Girls club and providing school resource officers in schools. The report found ARPA funds have been given to several youth nonprofits like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Columbia Supreme and Destiny of H.O.P.E.

Trapp highlights a need for both prevention and intervention, focusing on continuing the push for youth violence programs and bringing awareness to gun safety.

"There's always this hint of chasing after the homicide after it's already happened versus getting downstream and looking at what are the risk factors that young people get pulled into crime and violence," Trapp said. "We saw a lot of stolen guns being used, and an easy thing that's not really been followed up on is just kind of protecting your firearms and gun safety."

The gun violence study by NICJR will also be utilized by the Office of Violence Prevention to build teams that bridge the gap between local communities and Columbia resources.

Enforcement revolves around recruitment and retention of the Columbia Police Department. The report noted CPD's academy is well-staffed and benefits are provided to new hires. Benefits include a raise from $20.95 per hour to $28.85 per hour at the completion of the police academy and eligible lateral pay for prior law-enforcement applicants.

The CPD is in the process of accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a standard in law enforcement agencies. Trapp adds the task force previously had difficulties with the community's trust in police and recommended setting a goal to improve the relationship.

"It was kind of a black box on the training that people will see, but the city started their own police academy," Trapp said. "Now we control our training environment and we can make big steps on building trust between the police and the community."

Re-entry looks to tackle issues with reoffending criminals by identifying and providing resources that help stabilize formerly incarcerated people re-entering society. Improvement in re-entry will require collaboration between state and federal law enforcement and corrections departments, which has created hurdles for addressing violence prevention in the past.

"We need the local police to cooperate and work hand in glove with probation and parole and Department of Corrections if we're going to be able to meaningfully impact that risk pool," Trapp said. "It's not a handout to criminals, but it's an investment in the future that we can reduce the risk for the entire community."