Jefferson City police hold first of five listening sessions

Citizens of Jefferson City will have several opportunities to voice any comment or complaint to the city’s police department at a series of listening sessions.

The Empower Missouri Central Area committee is organizing the five sessions, which will be hosted in each of the city’s wards.

The first session will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Ward 5 at the LINC Presidential Suite.

The session for Ward 3 will be Monday at 7 p.m. at the Capital Mall’s Community Room.

The session in Ward 2 will be held in the Dorothy Pack Community Center on March 26 at 7 p.m, followed by Ward 1 on the 27th at the Prison Brews Side Room at 6:30 p.m.

Lastly, the session in Ward 4 will be on March 30 at the mall at 1 p.m.

A member of the police department will attend each of the sessions, but is not expected to immediately respond to comments or complaints. Police Chief Roger Schroeder and DK Hirner of Empower Missouri both said they want to avoid any unnecessary confrontation against officers.

“We’re optimistic that these meetings will strengthen the communication lines between the police and those who are served by the police,” Schroeder said. “We’re all seeking the same things for our community and the citizens who reside within it.”

Members of the city council have been invited to attend the sessions, along with both candidates for Jefferson City mayor.

Jefferson City police investigated seven homicides in 2018, the most for a single year in at least a decade.