CPD addresses rise in violent crime

The Columbia Police Department says it has several ideas to address the increase in violent crimes this year.

Six homicides have been reported in Columbia so far in 2017. The number of homicides so far this year is just one less than one of the deadliest years, in 2005.

Compared with 2016, homicide numbers in 2017 are on an upward trend.

ABC 17 News sat down with Columbia police spokesperson Bryana Larimer who said the department is aware that violent crime numbers are up for Columbia this year. Larimer said that crime numbers will fluctuate year to year so the department adjusts accordingly.

“To us, we recognize that crime rates fluctuate regularly but that doesn’t mean we are just going to be at a standstill for it,” Larimer said.

Larimer said the department has three ideas that it will explore to try and get numbers down. First, exploring saturation patrols in high-crime areas. Several weeks ago, Deputy Chief John Gordon told ABC 17 News about this option, and since then Larimer said the department is still exploring those “hot spots.”

“We are really trying to zone in on where those specific shots fired calls are occurring, and unfortunately the last few months they have been sporadic,” Larimer said. “There really is not a centralized location that those calls are coming in so it’s hard to place saturation patrols in those areas.”

Second, the department is still developing their focused deterrence plan. A plan that would target high profile criminals to reduce gun violence and violent crimes. The department says it would like to roll the plan out by the fall. Right now the department is meeting with several agencies to sign a memorandum of understanding to participate. All agencies involved, including the FBI, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, will be able to refer people they know were involved in a crime with social services that might help them from committing a crime again.

Third, would be the use of community outreach officers. Police say a lot of good work has come out of community outreach officers in the three strategic areas.

Not only is the department looking at what resources it needs to use in Columbia but the department is also branching out to other benchmark cities nationwide.

“Our deputy chief told me today that he’s reached out to ask them (benchmark cities) if they’re seeing similar patterns in their communities,” Larimer said. “And what they’re doing to try and bounce ideas off other departments.”