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<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;">600 E. Walnut Street
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Columbia, MO 65201</p></div>
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<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">February 10, 2025</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Brian McNeill
<br />Public Information Specialist
<br />Columbia Police Department
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.825.4022
<br />policepio@CoMo.gov
<br />
<br />Sarah Yoro-Massad
<br />Public Information Specialist
<br />Columbia Police Department
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.864.4742
<br />policepio@CoMo.gov</p>
</div>
<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">Columbia Police Department Internal Affairs Unit releases 2024 incident and call-for-service statistics</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display:inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2024, the Columbia Police Department responded to a total of 114,533 incidents. This included 78,276 responses to citizen calls for service, while officers proactively initiated 36,257 incidents themselves. Throughout the year, officers made 4,320 arrests.</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Incidents:</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">114,533</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arrests</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">4,320</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Columbia Police Department has established clear protocols for how officers respond to resistance, founded on legal precedent and policing best practices. Officers are authorized to use only the level of force that is reasonable and necessary to control a situation, based on the specific circumstances they face. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2024, officers encountered situations requiring force in 181 incidents, representing just 0.16% of all interactions with citizens. These incidents were often complex, involving either:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple subjects in a single incident</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">One officer using multiple techniques</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple officers each employing techniques</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Each use of force, even within the same incident, undergoes separate review. Below are the total techniques used by officers across all 181 incidents of resistance in 2024:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">List Numbers/Totals of Force Used Per Category</span></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taser Laser/Arc Display</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">44</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pressure Point Techniques</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">2</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Balance Displacement</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">117</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Drawing/Exhibit Firearm</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">132</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joint Manipulation</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">40</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other Physical Force</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">25</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Strikes</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">6</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taser Deploy/Drive Stun</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">11</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pepper Spray</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">8</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Canine Bite</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">2</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Canine Display</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">1</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Armored personnel carrier</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">1</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chemical Gas (OC/CS/CN)</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="3">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Canine Apprehension</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">3</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Restraint Chair</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">1</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Firearm Discharge at Person</span></p>
</td>
<td> </td>
<td> </td>
<td>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">6*</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5">
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">*These occurred at one incident 6/4/24</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2024, four of the above incidents were found to be "Improper" and not within policy which would have led to further review.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of 114,533 citizen contacts, the Columbia Police Department received 61 citizen complaints of police misconduct as defined by City Ordinance. While every complaint receives thorough attention and investigation, it's noteworthy that only 0.05% of all police-citizen interactions resulted in a complaint being filed. The ordinance requires the Police Chief to conclude each complaint investigation with one of these findings:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Unfounded</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">: The alleged acts complained of did not occur or were misconstrued.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Not Sustained</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Insufficient facts established to either prove or disprove the acts complained of.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Sustained</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Sufficient facts established to prove misconduct.</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Exonerated</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">: The acts complained of occurred but were justified, lawful and proper.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It should be noted that a single complaint may contain more than one allegation of misconduct; therefore, a complaint may have multiple resolutions.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Resolution of Citizen Complaints:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">83 Unfounded</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">67 Exonerated</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">38 Sustained</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">4 Not Sustained</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 Pending</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Of the 61 citizen complaints received, 15 cases were appealed to the Citizen's Police Review Board (CPRB). The CPRB reviewed these appeals and disagreed with the Police Chief's decision in 2 of the 15 instances. To put this in perspective, out of approximately 114,533 total interactions between police and citizens in 2024, only about 0.01% of interactions resulted in an appeal to the CPRB.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, the department initiated 37 internal investigations regarding misconduct.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Below are the resolutions of the internal investigations. A complaint may have multiple resolutions:</span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 Unfounded</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">1 Exonerated</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">43 Sustained</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2 Not Sustained</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The department received 14 citizen compliments during 2024.</span></p></div>
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<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
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