Violent crime numbers in Mid-Missouri

Violent crime is on the rise for some parts of mid-Missouri.

Both Columbia and Jefferson City saw an increase in violent crime numbers from 2014 to 2015. Columbia’s numbers increased by 46 percent, whereas Jefferson City numbers jumped by 21 percent.

“It’s just really difficult to target exactly what contributed to that,” said Bryana Larimer, spokesperson for the Columbia Police Department. “So all we can do is use the resources we have and put them in play to try to decrease crime in those hot spot areas.”

Here’s a breakdown of reported violent crimes for both cities over the past 15 years.

2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001

Columbia

600 410 416 476 582 530 501 392 617 460 477 429 422 410 439 Jefferson City 162 133
200 261 245 197 237 235 288 324 312 262 276 286 305

The latest crime numbers available through May 2016 show 210 reported violent crimes in Columbia. 231 were reported by May 2015.

In Jefferson City, 68 violent crimes have been reported this year through May. By May 2015, 61 violent crimes were reported.

“I think a few months in a row doesn’t necessarily constitute a pattern whether it’s good or bad,” said Capt. Doug Shoemaker with the Jefferson City Police Department. “If you take credit for the low numbers, you have to take credit for the high numbers too like you’re doing something wrong.”

When comparing Columbia crime rates to other cities with similar populations, data shows the violent crime numbers are much lower.

Violent crime numbers in Springfield, Illinois more than doubled Columbia’s numbers in both 2014 and 2015. In Peoria, Illinois, 2015 violent crime rates were about 27 percent higher than Columbia.

“We look at those crime numbers on a daily basis,” Larimer said. “We do try to determine whether or not we need to apply different resources to an area or really suppress those numbers from going any higher.”

The Columbia Police Department’s Community Outreach Unit has been assigned to three areas of the city working to build relationships with residents for the past several months.

“Being able to have that relationship back and open those lines of communication, that’s the important thing,” said Officer Scott Lenger. “And building trust with law enforcement and community members and trying to find out what they want from us.”

Officer Lenger and his partner Officer Tony Parker have been out walking and meeting residents on the north side of town since the beginning of February.

Lenger said they’ve gotten to know many of the residents in the area and have had mostly positive interactions with them.

The duo also patrols near the Auburn Hills Park, which is near a neighborhood that had four separate shots fired incidents in January alone. There’s been no reported shootings from the Bodie Drive area since then.

Lenger said it’s difficult to tell whether their presence has contributed to the decrease in gun violence.

“Bringing down the amount of violent crime that was happening out there, we can’t do that on our own,” he said. “That’s going to be a collaboration of the entire police department and the community as well. That’s been a big one and I think we’ve sort of reached that to where we are now.”

Residents living in a northeast Columbia neighborhood have taken matters into their own hands to help combat the recent gun violence.

There’s been several shootings near Sylvan Lane and Whitegate Drive already this year.

On April 25, Gabrielle Rhodes, 24 was shot and killed in the 1500 block of Sylvan Lane. A 22-year-old man was shot twice in the neck in the 1600 block of Sylvan Lane on May 27.

No arrests have been made in either case.

“We’re trying to bring positive things in our neighborhoods. Stop the shootings, stop the drugs,” said Kathy Scott, who lives in the area.

Residents have been teaming up with the United Way to host an ice cream social every Saturday during the summer.

“This is about a unifying event for the community to get people involved,” said Andrew Grabau, United Way Executive Director. “Get them out of their homes and really state this is their neighborhood.”

The United Way organized a similar event at Douglass Park in 2014.

“The more that we can be active, the more that we can create awareness in our community, the better we can help everyone in Columbia understand that this is a wonderful and safe community.”