After walking the streets of downtown Columbia following a deadly shooting, University of Missouri Chancellor Mun Choi told Missourinet that staying silent about crime in Columbia wasn’t an option—despite warnings from others to keep quiet.
“Because it’s going to let people know that we have issues,” said Choi. “Well, I have a responsibility for the safety of students that attend the University of Missouri, and I needed to sound the call to say while we have a great city, there are things that we can improve”
Choi said data suggests that violent crime in Columbia has increased year over year.
“Let’s acknowledge it,” said Choi. “Let’s find resources to help our police department address those issues, and we are doing the same thing by providing our police resources to patrol downtown during peak hours and collaborating with the Columbia Police Department.”
Choi told Missourinet that addressing crime tied to homelessness must also be addressed if Columbia is serious about long-term public safety.
“There have been 277 arrests of homeless individuals last year, primarily in downtown that borders our campus,” said Choi. “I am concerned that we’re going to have a serious, serious situation with the homeless crime issue, which will affect enrollment, but more importantly, it will affect our students.”
Choi said restoring safety in Columbia means tackling both sides of the issue—supporting homeless individuals who want help, and backing law enforcement to address crime tied to homelessness.
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