Columbia looks to spend $1 million from state on safety barriers
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
After state Sen. Stephen Webber (D-Columbia) secured $1 million in the state budget for the Columbia Police Department, the city is considering to use the funds to purchase vehicle barriers for special events.
The barrier would be the Archer 1200 Mobile Barrier from the Meridian company. In June 2025, the company came to Columbia for a demonstration of the technology to University of Missouri and city officials.
Columbia Police Chief Jill Schlude called the measures a “proactive step” forward in citywide public safety initiatives.
“We’ve seen multiple events around the country, in the world, where someone with bad intentions has driven into a crowd,” Schlude said. “So this is a real proactive step. Hopefully it’s also a deterrent towards someone wanting to do something like that.”
If approved, the city would amend the 2027 fiscal year budget by $970,000 for public safety initiatives in the Downtown Community Improvement District to purchase the barriers. That money would then be reimbursed by the Missouri Department of Public Safety.
Schlude and Columbia Fire Chief Brian Schaeffer said the barriers have been a priority of both departments for many years now.
“This creates a safety barrier to prevent an outcome that none of us really want to mitigate,” Schaeffer said.
The University of Missouri has already invested in the barriers. Schlude and Schaeffer said if the city approves the purchase, it will allow for easier operational abilities between emergency agencies in the area.
“A lot of our events go through multiple jurisdictions,” Schaeffer said. “Criminals, or people experiencing heart attacks, or medical problems, or fires, they don’t respect jurisdictional borders. So when we train our people how to deal with these type of destructive devices, we want to make sure that it’s one time.”
Schlude and Schaeffer said the city currently uses dumpsters or large trucks filled with sand to secure events. Meridian’s website described the barrier model as an “anti-ram portable vehicle barrier.” Meridian said describes it as “Ideal for entry points, roadways, construction sites and public events.”
Schlude and Schaeffer said the plan to utilize the barriers currently revolves around special events in the city, but they could also be a tool in larger emergency responses.
“It’s a tool,” Schaeffer said. “So if we run into a circumstance, whether it’s a law enforcement, a fire, hazardous material incident, it just adds to our toolbox.”
Schlude said the barriers would also put less of a stress on staffing at events because fewer people would be needed to set the guards in place. How they are used and what areas they would temporarily block off would be on a case-by-case basis and included in the special events planning process, according to Schlude.
The money from the state would be considered a one-time investment, which Schaeffer said isn’t always a helpful funding mechanism, but the barriers come with an extended life and can be used multiple times.
“Oftentimes, we don’t like one time investments because we have to come up with the funding for the year two and year three,” Schaeffer said. “These don’t expire, so this is a good use of money and certainly very appreciative of Jeff City.”
At Monday’s council meeting, the proposed use of the state funding to purchase the barriers will be introduced. However, nothing will be officially voted on until the next council meeting on Nov. 16.
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