Columbia’s Community Outreach officers could begin training patrol
The Columbia Police Department has been under the leadership of Geoff Jones for 32 days. In that time, Jones said he’s been working to address the council’s concerns about a lack of direction in the city’s community policing plan.
Jones took over as interim chief at the beginning of the year. Chief Ken Burton resigned in December, and was criticized by council members and the public for a perceived inaction on implementing community policing.
At Monday night’s city council meeting, Jones shared with council members several updates on his efforts, including that he intends to shake up the structure of the Community Outreach Unit while also keeping the unit intact.
“There may be some changes out of the unit so that I can have maybe one or two of them focus their efforts on training,” Jones said.
The unit is down several officers so Jones hopes to supplement the gaps in a way that will also benefit all patrol officers. Jones told council members that he and Sgt. Mike Hestir are working on a plan to rotate patrol officers into the COU’s strategic neighborhoods. In theory, there would be one COU officer training a patrol officer for an undetermined amount of time.
“I really think it enhances the training program to have them shadowing a COU officer,” he said. “I don’t think it diminishes the officer’s ability to police their neighborhood. If anything, it increases our numbers in those neighborhoods.”
Ward 3 Councilman Karl Skala commented that he approved of the “apprenticeship” idea.
“It may even vitalize some of those beats with the veteran officers that are there in terms of this rotating through,” he said. “I think that’s a great thing.”
Jones made it clear that this would happen only if he and Hestir could work it out.
The department is in the process of having several policy review meetings with members of the public in order to educate them on CPD practices and get feedback that will improve policy development.
Jones reported that the department was making a greater effort at being more transparent, including opening up all command staff meetings to any officer who wishes to attend.
Command staff has also removed the gold buttons from their uniforms, which identified them as such.
“I feel like we were blinded by those gold buttons and needed to focus on other things,” said Jones.
Members of command staff are also in uniform and doing patrols.
“I’m very encouraged by the direction you’re taking and the engagement with the community has been excellent so far,” Councilman Clyde Ruffin told Jones. “The work that you’re doing has been well received.”
