Columbia city council lays out plans to address downtown gun violence

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

After eight shootings in downtown Columbia in the past two months, and several people bringing their concerns on the increased violence to city leaders, the council laid out plans to address gun violence.

Columbia residents addressed the city council about gun violence during the city council public comment Monday.

Traci Kleekamp, Columbia resident and president of Race Matters Friends, addressed the council, "for some reason people can get speed bumps faster than we can get money to do something about crime interventions."

Andrea Waner, second Ward Councilwoman, said the council cannot wait any longer to address the downtown gun violence.

"There's a shooting every weekend. our cops are tired our people are tired people are dying we can't just sit here."

Council discussed violence intervention plans such as revisiting a 2014 report from a citizen task force that used research and data to outline recommendations to reduce violence in the city of Columbia.

Pat Fowler, First Ward Councilwoman, said the council will also use American Rescue Plan Money to increase downtown safety.

"We have funding and this is how other cities are doing it they are spending it by hiring people, trusted members of the community to go out and do the work," Fowler said.