Category: kmiz-local-news

Mitchell Kaminski

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

The Jefferson City Council on Monday voted overwhelmingly to renew its agreement with Flock for automated license plate readers, with Ward 2 Councilman Cody Holt casting the lone dissenting vote.

Since September 2025, the Jefferson City Police Department has operated 21 Flock automated license plate readers throughout the city.

Ahead of the vote, Holt asked the council to discuss the cameras, citing concerns about privacy and how the data collected by the system is shared.

The use of Flock cameras has drawn scrutiny nationally, with privacy advocates raising concerns about data sharing and law enforcement access.

A national tracker of Flock contracts lists more than 30 communities that have ended their agreements amid similar concerns about privacy, data sharing and law enforcement access.

While Holt said he trusts the Jefferson City Police Department to use the cameras responsibly and wants officers to have access to useful tools, he felt the council needed to have a broader discussion about their use before voting to renew the agreement.

“I believe the personal security aspect is important, and I also think that arming our police and law enforcement officers with the most advanced tools to be able to do their jobs is a good thing, but I think the potential invasion of public privacy is outweighed by that risk,” Holt said during the meeting. 

However, other members of the council quickly voiced their support for the Flock cameras, with Ward 4 Councilman Chris Leuckel saying the police needed as many resources and assets available, pointing to an arrest from Columbia police with the help of the cameras. 

“One in Columbia as recently as I think last week, a crime was committed, and within minutes they were apprehended because of the Flock camera. I think those unfortunately are not celebrated,” Leuckel said. “Not designed to be celebrated necessarily, other than take the broader view of protecting the community and being safe. To address one thing that was brought up about getting potential misuse, as it related to this department, this city, I would give full faith and confidence to our police chief and our leadership. 

Ward 5 Councilman Shane Kampeter offered a similar sentiment. 

“A lot of the things that happen when these are used, minutes, seconds, matter. A car can leave Jeff City pretty fast,” Kampeter said during the meeting. “We do not have enough staff in Jeff City to sit here and physically watch cameras. Systems like this are able to track them before they even get to the Missouri River Bridge, which could be within seconds.” 

Ward 4 Councilwoman Julie Allen also acknowledged some of the pushback that Flock has received, but felt the benefits outweighed the concerns. 

“I would just caution us to not throw the baby out with the bathwater. I do know these have been very useful in some law enforcement issues that we’ve had,” Allen said.  

Jefferson City Police Chief Eric Wilde said the department has been utilizing some form of automatic license plate reading cameras for more than two decades, but it is now starting to gain more attention as the technology has continued to evolve and get better. 

“This is just another tool that we use that has been one of the most effective that I have seen in my career,” Wilde said. 

Wilde added during the meeting that the use of Flock cameras has helped the department solve three homicides. He also addressed concerns over misuse of the cameras, saying he understands there is not much trust in big government. 

But Wilde tried to alleviate those concerns, saying he understands the weight on his office’s shoulders and that the department will continue to train, establish policy, and audit the use of Flock to ensure they are being used appropriately.

“As law enforcement, we have so many tools that we can utilize that violate your constitutional rights. This weapon, this pepper spray, tasers, our radios, using them incorrectly,” Wilde said. “How we defeat that is ongoing and rigorous training, oversight, policy, and auditing.”

Council documents show the new agreement runs through May 14, 2027, and will cost the city $51,000.

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Olivia Hayes

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Leaders and businesses with Columbia’s Downtown District requested research on a potential “urban camping” ordinance to be conducted by the city.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, a letter in support of a possible ordinance signed by now nearly 80 downtown business owners, organizations and University of Missouri System President Mun Choi was submitted to council members by the Downtown Community Improvement District.

CID Executive Director Nickie Davis said on Monday that she wants the ordinance to be finalized in a year if possible, with the research completed in the next six months.

“It’s not just about getting people to move along. It’s about getting people into programs or housing or somewhere that’s a little safer than a 95-degree sidewalk,” Davis said.

About 20 community members also attended the meeting and stood up in support of the proposed ordinance.

Columbia already has an ordinance in its city code that restricts anyone from blocking and limiting travel on any street, alley or sidewalk without a parade permit. Violators face a misdemeanor.

Leaders with the downtown district said during the meeting’s public comment portion that the ordinance would help establish clear standards for enforcement and outreach. They also claim it would ensure consistency for city staff, outreach workers, businesses and residents.

A previous version of the letter in July claimed existing ordinances are “broad, and difficult to locate or interpret,” which the District claimed “creates confusion for residents, businesses, law enforcement, outreach providers, and individuals seeking services.”

Davis wants a three-tier educational type of approach put into place to address violations. 

“The first one is kind of a, ‘Hey, did you know that this is not okay in this area? Do you know why?Here’s why’,” Davis said. “At the end of it, if people continue to not follow, whatever ordinance it is that they can then either be hopefully sent to the opportunity to campus, but if not something else.”

City leaders did not immediately respond or comment back to the district’s request at Monday’s meeting.

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Matthew Sanders

Flock cameras are pretty much everywhere these days — at least, if you’re in Columbia or Jefferson City.

In Columbia, the ubiquitous cameras have drawn concerns from some residents, as they have nationwide, especially after stories of abuses tied to police officers elsewhere misusing their camera networks. Worries have also sprouted up about the cameras’ abilities to capture more than just license plates, including the faces of drivers and passengers.

Columbia has 114 of the cameras, and they regularly help in the arrests of criminal suspects.

Jefferson City also has its own camera network. JCPD has operated 21 of the cameras since last September.

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Lucas Geisler

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) –

Two juveniles were in custody Tuesday after Boone County sheriff’s deputies chased them in an alleged stolen vehicle.

Capt. Brian Leer with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office said deputies tried pulling over the driver of a car reported stolen out of Nebraska on Interstate 70 near the Highway 63 connector. Leer said the driver kept going and got off the interstate at the Route Z exit. That took them and law enforcement west back toward Columbia on Richland Road.

Leer said the suspects then stopped and tried running in the 5300 block of St. Charles Road. Deputies caught them after a brief chase.

ABC 17 News saw deputies tape off a portion of the side of the road around 10 a.m. A tow truck took a vehicle away from the scene, which deputies cleared shortly after 10.

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Matthew Sanders

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A dual bomb and gun threat led police to surround Douglass High School on Tuesday morning.

Columbia police had initially said officers responded Tuesday morning to an “active threat” at Douglass High School. The Columbia Police Department later said in that officers didn’t find anything.

Columbia Police Department officers were sent to the area a little after 10 a.m. By about 11:40 a.m., CPD had posted on social media that no threat was found.

Classes don’t start until next week, so students were not in the building. CPD spokesman Colin Imhoff said officers cleared staff from the building.

The school was surrounded by police cruisers, and a police drone was flying overhead a little before 11 a.m. A reporter saw people being escorted out of the school before police dogs were taken inside. A bomb technician was also at the scene, the CPD release states.

Police had left the scene by noon.

A teacher told an ABC 17 News reporter that she saw police with rifles drawn outside the building.

Columbia Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark confirmed that no students were in the building. Classes start next week across CPS.

Check back for updates to this developing story.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources awarded the Cole County Public Water Supply District No. 5 a $30,000 grant for a drinking water engineering report grant, according to a Tuesday press release from the DNR.

The release says the district will use the money to evaluate its drinking-water system. The DNR offers funds for communitirs to make improvements to its drinking water system.

“Keeping our water clean, drinkable and accessible will always be a top priority as we work to help Missouri communities flourish, DNR Director Kurt Schaefer was quoted in the release.

The release says additional money for the project can come from the EPA.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Some people in Camden County this week may notice a bit more Faygo and face paint.

The annual Gathering of the Juggalos will be held from Wednesday through Saturday at Mother Nature’s Riverfront Retreat in Macks Creek. The ticket processing lot will be located at 1776 Bar and Grill, according to the festival’s website.

A “juggalo” is the name fans of the rap group The Insane Clown Posse call themselves. The festival is in its 26th year and its location changes depending on the year.

Col. Scott Hines, of the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, told ABC 17 News on Tuesday that 4,000 tickets have been sold for the event and officials say up to 10,000 attendees may show up.

“Our deputies are currently patrolling heavily in that area of the county to account for the added vehicular traffic. We are also coordinating with MSHP and multiple fire and EMS agencies to ensure we have as many assets available in the area. The planning for this multi-agency operation began several months ago,” Hines wrote in an email to ABC 17 News.

Some performers of the festival include ICP, Hatebreed and Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers arrested a man on Monday who was described as a marijuana supplier for The Gathering of the Juggalos for 20 years.

Kevin Jones, 45, of Bearre Easton, Pennsylvania, was charged in Camden County on Tuesday with first-degree drug trafficking and delivery of a controlled substance. He is being held at the Camden County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was held on Tuesday.

The probable cause statement says the patrol learned Jones was “planning to distribute a large amount of marijuana during the Gathering of the Juggalos Festival” after seeing “Bluntman’s One Stop Shop” being advertised on the fest’s website.

Troopers saw Jones’ Ford F-350 towing a camper trailer in Osage Beach on Monday, pulled the vehicle over and found 128 pounds of marijuana products and 2.5 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, the statement says.

The festival will be held Wednesday through Saturday at Mother Nature’s Riverfront Retreat in Macks Creek. Officials are preparing for up to 10,000 attendees.

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Valarie Moseley will become the new head of the Missouri Department of Corrections on Oct. 1, according to a Tuesday press release from the governor’s office.

Moseley takes over for Trevor Foley, who is becoming the state’s budget director. The release says Moseley has served as the department’s deputy director since December 2023 and has served as the director of the division of offender rehabilitative services.

She was also the assistant division director for employee health and safety in the department’s Division of Human Services, the release says. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from William Woods University in Fulton.

“I am humbled by the Governor’s trust in me to continue my service to the department in this role,” Moseley was quoted in the release. “I look forward to leading the DOC team in our efforts to move the department forward by supporting our workforce, improving engagement with external stakeholders, and working to reduce risk and recidivism for the safety of our communities. I would like to thank Director Foley for his leadership, and I look forward to working to follow the example of the leaders before me who set the vision for an even better Department of Corrections.”

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Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Highway Patrol announced in a Tuesday press release that it is launching a new website for residents to report suspicious activity.

The release says showmeshield.gov, also known as Missouri: Show-Me Shielf, is replacing the SafeNation app.

The release says the website should be used to report “unusual items or situations they encounter, persons attempting to elicit information at a level beyond simple curiosity about a building’s purpose, operations, security procedures and/or personnel, when shift changes occur, etc.”

The patrol also announced the anti-bullying hotline can be accessed online at courage2reportmo.com or calling 1-866-748-7047. The previous Courage2Report app has been deactivated, the release says.

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