Columbia leaders take first steps toward addressing youth violence
Nia Hinson
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia leaders are optimistic a new board by the city’s Office of Violence Prevention will help the community crack down on crime.
OVP Administrator D’Markus Thomas-Brown said he knew coming into the job that he couldn’t get things done by himself. He’s now taken steps toward creating a violence prevention advisory board that involves several community organizations and leaders.
The board had its first meeting earlier this month, and looks to meet again in July. A specific date for its next meeting has not been set but Thomas-Brown said the meeting is open to all community members.
Thomas Brown said the first meeting was made up of 18 people. Several organizations — including the NAACP, Connections to Success, the Columbia Police Department, the Boone County Community Services Department and the Boone County prosecutor — all came together.
“So, the meeting was great because they were able to say this is what we’re willing to look at and focus on as the Office of Violence Prevention and how can we bring what we have to the table to bolster the strategic plan to bolster the collaborations that we want to see,” Thomas-Brown said.
Thomas-Brown said much of the work the board hopes to achieve is identifying where the gaps are that could be leading to violence in the city, especially with youth.
A youth was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon for a deadly shooting Sunday night. Thomas-Brown said one of the major gaps discussed is interventive work.
“The intervention entities or organizations working directly to with those who are most directly impacted by violence,” Thomas-Brown said. “Who’s working to get resources to curve, to be able to get cognitive, behavioral theories and things worked.”
CPD Deputy Chief Matt Stephens was one of the city’s leaders that plans to continue attending meetings. Stephens said he’s looking forward to having a meeting that allows for multiple perspectives, but all with the same goal in mind.
“You know, for us as a police department, a lot of times people don’t want to talk to the cops,” Stephens said. “So, then when you start working in conjunction with people that they will talk to that aren’t the police but will still talk and you’re working toward that common goal, the only thing you’re doing is you’re running parallels and covering a whole lot of ground that otherwise gets missed.”
Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson said he’s optimistic these meetings can help the city develop a strategy to deal with violent crime. However, he said it’s a long process that will require the work of the entire community.
Johnson also said he thinks this can help the city have a more proactive approach.
“The prosecutor’s office and law enforcement can be the sticky side of things, but D’Markus and his office, I think there’s a lot of opportunity for them to do things that might cut off crime before it happens,” Johnson said.
Pamela Hardin is the president of the Columbia branch of the NAACP. She also plans to attend meetings, and be apart of the board down the road. Hardin said she hopes the board can work to provide alternatives for youth that deters them from engaging in violence.
“We need something to draw young people even here,” Hardin said. “We need water parks. We need some things like ice skating. We need a bigger roller rink. We need hockey. Those are things that people can develop a sport in and use that to further careers.”
Director of the Boone County Community Services Department, Joanne Nelson said her role within the board is to provide information about the services the department offers. The department funds many prevention and intervention services for youth and families, including funding organizations like Destiny of H.O.P.E who work with children.
Nelson said the department is now hoping to start the “Health and Justice Coordinating Council.”
The group would work to discuss issues that impact the City of Columbia. It would include someone from the court system, CPD and the Boone County Jail. Nelson said they’ve also hoping to include the hospital system, including MU and Boone Health.
“Sometimes, we’re all working with the same individual and we don’t know what the other group is doing so if we can get a data system to help us talk to eachother, we will know what’s going on,” Nelson said.
Nelson said she’s hoping to have the first meeting at the beginning of Fall.