Columbia City Council approves Downtown Ambassador Program
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia City Council unanimously approved to moved forward with a proposed Downtown Ambassador Program.
The program will cost $504,390.03 per year and will be split three ways between the City of Columbia, the University of Missouri and the Downtown Community Improvement District. Each party will pay $168,130.01, according to meeting documents.
The city began having meetings regarding downtown safety, including bringing up the ambassador program, after a Stephens College student was shot and killed downtown in September 2025, according to previous reporting.
The uniformed and unarmed ambassadors employed by Block by Block will help law enforcement to patrol the downtown area and serve as additional eyes and ears for public safety concerns, meeting documents say. The Downtown CID will serve as the primary program administrator, managing day-today operations and providing quarterly reports to the city and MU. The group will be seen walking and riding bicycles downtown.
Ambassadors will also help to conduct outreach with homeless individuals to connect them with appropriate service providers, give after-hours safety escorts for downtown employees or visitors when requested, provide documentation of incidents or concerns to law enforcement, and documenting things like graffiti, trash, or other concerns.
The idea was first introduced to city officials on a staff retreat to Columbia, South Carolina. Other cities apart of the Block by Block Ambassador program include: Gainesville, Florida; Iowa City, Iowa; Fort Worth, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; Louisville, Kentucky; Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas; and Pasadena, California.
The city believes the program will increase a visible presence in the downtown district, improve coordination between the City, CID, and MU, provide a structured documentation of quality-of-life concerns and fixes in the area and allow sworn officers to remain focused on higher-priority enforcement needs.
Downtown CID Executive Director Nickie Davis said earlier this year that the ambassadors would have to go through training. She also said they'll work to ensure all street lights downtown are working properly and that all streets are lit. Davis also previously said the District was also considering getting businesses "No Trespassing" and "No Concealed Weapons" signs
The contract will run through March 31, 2027, with the option of four renewal periods through 3031.
