A Ward 3 resident is asking for a greater police presence in her neighborhood.
Stephanie Wilson met with the Columbia Board of Aldermen last week and also addressed issues from loose dogs to drainage.
Police Chief Mike Cooper said his officers would be glad to patrol the area, but in the past it was discouraged.
“One thing that it is going to take is people letting us know that they want us there,” he said. “We were being accused of profiling and everything else.”
Ward 3 Alderwoman Anna Evans gave her support to Cooper and the CPD.
“I have no problem with the Columbia Police Department patrolling that area,” she said.
“The problem was that before, you wouldn’t hear the good folks like yourself come in this room right here,” Cooper said to Wilson. “You wouldn’t hear them come in and say, ‘We want y’all there.’ You heard people coming in and saying that we were harassing them over there.”
Wilson said she was concerned.
“I think a presence alone could have an effect,” she said. “I also get this vibe that you’re not understanding how much we appreciate you.”
She said police are needed during school hours because people are dropping children off behind Jefferson Middle School to avoid the car line.
“We’ve got parents that are either too lazy or too defiant, whatever their reason is, they don’t drop their children off in car line,” she said. “What they do is zoom down Dukes Avenue and drop them off in the area where the walkers go into the school. We’ve got people who park on the street. If we would have a police presence there it would help.”
Cooper and Mayor Justin McKenzie assured Wilson that officers would monitor the area during school hours. Wilson also asked that city officers patrol the area more often.
“There are people out there walking at 10 or 11 at night,” she said. “I will say that I’m am so proud of the Columbia Police Department for going in and cleaning up a lot of drug activity that was down Hendricks Street. But I’m now seeing an increase of cars turning down Hendricks Street and heading back out within a few minutes.”
McKenzie, a former CPD captain, said policing tactics often raise questions.
“For example, we were asked to put extra patrols on a street where people were said to have been flying down,” he said. “The officer went out there and wrote 12 tickets; two of these tickets were to one person for no insurance and speeding. Someone was going to come to the meeting and say that we were harassing that person in that area.”
Wilson said she supported the CPD in its efforts to keep the streets safe.
“Having my degree in criminal justice and having worked in the juvenile justice system and having law enforcement officers in my family and friends, I know they don’t always get a fair shake,” she said. “I appreciate you giving me the time and anything and everything that you can do.”
Wilson said she’s also concerned about drainage near Jefferson Middle School. She said limbs often block drains and flood the street.
“No. 1 is that we have children walking down Hendricks Street and I’ve seen them go to school with their socks and tennis shoes soaking wet,” she said. “They used to be able to walk in my yard, but now my yard is flooded. That is No. 2, I can’t use my yard.”
She also raised concerns about dogs in the area. She said she reported several of them to Animal Control before school let out in May.
“I walk my dog all over Columbia. I can’t go around the corner because two dogs come out attacking me and my dog. I have completely changed my route. I’ve seen kids throwing bottles to keep the dogs away,” she said.
McKenzie said that Animal Control had set a trap in an attempt to catch the dogs, and Cooper said he had been out to the area to investigate as well.
