Month: June 2026

Sutton Parker

COLUMBIA MO. (KMIZ)

The National Institute of Criminal Justice Reform provided updates on the progress of the ongoing work to prevent violence around the City of Columbia.

The group was contracted in early January to explore ways the city can curb violent crime.

Since the NICJRs contract started the group has been working on 2 reports. Each of which are designed to look into prevention and intervention strategies the city can take.

The “Gun Violence Analysis” report explores fatal and non-fatal shootings in an attempt to find the drivers of gun violence around the city.

Shantay Jackson, the Director of the National Offices of Violence Prevention Network says that this report is trying to help the city figure out what stratigies they can use to help lower gun violence.

“At the end of the day, the report will help determine what evidence informed model the city should employ to continue to reduce violence,” She said.

The report is currently in the beginning stage while the institute waits on data from local law enforcement agencies regarding crime.

“We are waiting on some approvals from your law enforcement agencies here locally in regard to sharing data so that we can begin that work,” She said.

Once that data is shared with the NICJR says it could take them up to 6 months to review it.

The “Community Violence Landscape Analysis” report will look at how community and city based organizations can better help with the reduction of violence.

Jackson said their goal is to help the city identify what is already working and what the city can improve on.

“We can help you all determine where there are strengths in what we call community violence intervention ecosystem so you can build out the right support for those at the highest risk.” she said.

As for when this report will be complete, Jackson said it should be done in the next few months.

“Typically those reports take anywhere from 5-6 months in order to complete so we are looking forward to coming back here at the end of August or early September to share those public findings out.” She said.

After both reports are finished the institute plans to deploy a multi-year plan that incorporates all of the research in an effort boost violence reduction and intervention.

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Alison Patton

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia Fourth Ward city council candidate is running for office while continuing her work as a lobbyist, creating an extra challenge for funding her campaign.

Missouri law prohibits a candidate from creating or maintaining a candidate committee if they’re a lobbyist.

However, a new law that takes effect at the end of August would eliminate that requirement when a lobbyist is running for a local office, including a county, municipal or school board office, according to the bill summary, as long as the candidate isn’t lobbying the office they’re running for.

Candidate Sharon Jones said the law is supposed to prevent people from running for office at the state level.

“It was meant to prevent that sort of conflict of interest, where you are lobbying the same people that you are wanting to become,” Jones said.

Jones is a registered lobbyist for seven organizations, including the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the Missouri NAACP State Conference, Jones Advocacy Group, Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Madsen-Wright Inc., PROMO and the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

She’s also a civil rights attorney and worked on the NAACP lawsuit against the state, trying to overturn the 2025 congressional map.

The Fourth Ward election is Aug. 4, and while Jones waits for the new law to pass, a couple of her colleagues formed a political action committee that she won’t manage as a way to get around the roadblock the current law poses.

“It’s important to note that this PAC is not ran by Sharon,” PAC deputy treasurer Dustin Bax said. “Candidates can have PACs created and ran by friends, but those, in most instances, are controlled by that candidate. This PAC isn’t controlled by Sharon.”

Jones said she also could have unregistered as a lobbyist and registered again once the law kicks in.

“I chose not to do that because that didn’t feel transparent and authentic to me, and I would rather just look at the people of the Fourth Ward and say this is what I do for a living, this is the work I do, these are the people I represent. If you want to be a part of that, you can vote for me,” Jones said.

This isn’t the first time a lobbyist has run for office in Columbia. Former Mayor Brian Treece was told to extinguish his campaign committee in 2021, according to previous reporting. Treece worked as a lobbyist while also maintaining a campaign committee for mayor, which has existed since 2016.

In 2023, First Ward residents petitioned for a recall vote against former councilman Nick Knoth because he accepted a position as director of government affairs and regional advocacy for the Missouri Association of REALTORS, according to previous reporting. While the Missouri Ethics Commission didn’t see a legal issue, some residents said it was an ethical issue.

Jones said her situation is different.

“The major difference between what happened with Nick Knoth and my candidacy is that I have never lobbied the city council. I only lobby the legislature and the governor for things like clemency and permit vetoes,” Jones said.

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