Columbia officers named to Community Outreach Unit through grant
Two of four spots that were added to the Columbia Police Department’s Community Outreach Unit have been filled.
On Thursday, officers Maria Phelps and Justin Thomas were announced as new members of the unit.
The new positions were added to the unit through the COPS Hiring Program Grant. The grant comes from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, or COPS office.
The department said the team will start its work in the Sylvan Lane and Whitegate Drive area and will focus on building community relationships and discouraging gun violence.
“I’m excited to be a part of a team that’s dedicated to building strong ties in the community,” said Thomas, who joined the department in 2015. “I’m looking forward to working together with citizens to solve problems and create a safer environment for all residents.”
According to police, officers responded to calls of shots heard or shots fired between Sylvan Lane and Whitegate Drive a total of 20 times from January 1, 2016, through June 1, 2017.
An April 2016 shooting that happened in the 1500 block of Sylvan Lane left 24-year-old Gabrielle Rhodes Jr. dead.
Police said Phelps and Thomas will assume their new roles within the next few weeks. The timeline for filling the other two positions through the grant program has not yet been determined.
