Data from 2020 CPD use of force report shows black citizens involved in over half of the department’s incidents

COLUMBIA, MO (KMIZ)

The Columbia Police Department held its citizens police review board Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

The board discussed status updates, an election of a new vice president, along with taking comments from the public.

The 2020 Columbia Police Department use of force report was released last month. CPD reported 246 reports of use of force were generated in 2020. The use of force reports are down 18.33% from the 2019 report.

The Columbia Police Department classifies 'use of force' under 24 different types of action. According to the department's report, drawing or exhibiting a firearm was the number one type of use of force in 2020, showing 238 reports. Balance displacement was second on that list with 123 reports.

The type of calls received that resulted in use of force vary from multiple calls. The top three types of calls that resulted in an officer use of force include; disturbance, traffic stop, and weapons offense. Disturbance calls are the top calls that have resulted in use of force involving an officer.

There were 144 reports where officers used force in order to a response to a resistance, there were 157 citizens in total involved in these situations. 141 citizens involved in these situations were arrested making up 89.1% of the reports. A little over 10% of the citizens involved during these use of force reports were not arrested.

The report states out of those use of force incidents 152 involved black citizens making up 52.60% of the reported incidents. 125 of those were white citizens making up 43.10% of reports.

Police Chief Geoff Jones, says the data shows that black citizens were more likely to experience use of force by an officer than white citizens, and he's working to change that.

"It shows that black persons were more likely to experience a use of force relative to the population than white persons, this data and space needs some work,", said Jones.

The black population within Columbia only makes up 10.9% according to the U.S Census report. While the white population within Columbia makes up 77.1% of the city's population.

"There is a disparity and we need to look at what factors into that disparity and try to make some adjustments to that disparity,", said Jones.

According to the report, police officers with the least amount of experience reported the most use of force reports in 2020. 57 officers who made reports had 5 or less years of experience; 37 of those officers had 3 years or less of experience. 41 officers with at least 5 to 10 years of experience made reports of use of force last year.

Officers between the ages of 21 to 29 used force 231 times and officers between the ages of 30 to 39 used force 210 times last year.

Chief Jones announced in the meeting, that he appointed an equity officer who was one of the department's community outreach officers, to look at the department's policies and provide guidance on any changes that are needed.

"We appointed, we selected an officer that people applied for, to be an equity officer it's a new assignment for an officer familiar with these issues, it was an officer selected in a community outreach officer, that officer is reviewing our policies our practice and implement them to see in an equity lens if there needs to be adjustments,", said Jones.