MSHP data shows youth most likely age group to be arrested for violent crime in Columbia this year
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A 15-year-old boy was sentenced this week to a state facility for his role in the Feb. 14 shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade that left one person dead and more than 20 people injured, The Associated Press reported.
The sentencing occurs as Columbia struggles with youth violence.
Though violent crime overall through the first six months of this year is up 4.6% from the same period in 2023, data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol shows that youths aged 10-17 are the most-likely aged demographic arrested in Columbia on suspicion of violent crimes in 2024.
“Violent crime” in the dataset includes suspicion of murder (consisting of murder and non-negligent manslaughter), robbery, aggravated assault and rape.
So far this year, 110 minors were arrested in Columbia on suspicion of a violent crime. That number was evenly split among males and females, 81 arrests were of Black youth, while 28 arrests involved white youth.
Arrests by age groups this year included:
- 18-24: 61 arrests made
- 25-34: 92 arrests made
- 35-44: 68 arrests made
- 45-54: 26 arrests made
- 55-64: 10 arrests made
- 65 and older: Seven arrests made
The full breakdown can be viewed in the image below:
Julian Jackman, Executive Director of P.E.A.C.E., highlighted a critical issue: "These kids are dealing with mental health every day."
Boone County funds more than 60 programs and multiple nonprofit agencies focused on youth and families, yet the lack of extracurricular activities remains a challenge.
Joanne Nelson, Director of Boone County Community Services Department, pointed out a significant gap: "We tend to see that there's not a lot of activities for them, whether it's out of school time when the school is in place, or during the summertime,"
Julian Jackman and Lonnie Lockhart Bey, Executive Directors of P.E.A.C.E. and H.O.P.E., respectively, have personal experiences with youth violence.
Lonnie Lockhart Bey shared his transformative experience, "I was inside of this prison, trapped behind this million-dollar electric fence. And it was then that I began to see and recognize the error of my ways."
Professionals working with youth express a shared sentiment about the tragic outcomes for children caught in violent situations.
"When you don't know how to process your pain, the trauma that goes along with creating the pain, then ultimately you lash out, or you act out," Lockhart said.
A glimmer of hope comes from Victoria McKinnon, a 16-year-old Columbia student said she joined P.E.A.C.E and H.O.P.E after she felt like she needed a change in her life.
"I wasn't going on the best path that I could have been on. But when I got here, I learned, and it showed me something different," she said.
Jackman said P.E.A.C.E. and H.O.P.E. teach youth a variety of lessons.
"We do a lot of programming. We do a lot of things about self-awareness, a lot of things about self-esteem, building healthy relationships, and cognitive distortions. We also like to do financial literacy, cursive handwriting classes," Jackman said.
The City of Columbia announced on Thursday that part of its fiscal year 2025 budget will go to a new office to address violence prevention. According to City Manager De’Carlon Seewood, funding for this office will not take away money from the police department or any other city department. He added on Thursday that $500,000 was set aside in grant money to fund it.
Previous reporting indicates that the city manager’s office met with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform in March. City spokeswoman Sydney Olsen said in March that the city is looking to create a three-to-five-year strategic plan to provide sustainability and continuity.
ABC 17 News reached out to the Columbia Police Department.
Check back for updates.
