Task Force on Community Violence discusses recommendations

The Columbia Mayor’s Task Force on Community Violence met again Wednesday to discuss the recommendations it made to the council almost one year ago to curb crime.

Just last week, the task force met to give a progress report on those recommendations.

Some community members said they feel implementing those recommendations has been a slow moving process.

Councilman and co-chair of the task force Michael Trapp said funding and getting the word out about the programs have been two of the biggest challenges.

Trapp said because Proposition 1 failed, public safety money to hire police officers takes priority over some of the task force recommendations that also need funding.

And there’s also a question about should be in charge to keep things moving forward.

“The task force was an idea-generating machine,” Trapp said. “We left those recommendations kind of up to staff so it’s really a question of who’s best position to organize all of the social service outreach programs and I think that’s not city government.”

Trapp said overall he feels the task force has been very productive so far.

The next meeting is set to be scheduled within the next month.