City of Columbia, Missouri  
701 E. Broadway  
Columbia, Missouri  
Meeting Minutes - Final  
Wednesday, March 13, 2024  
6:00 PM  
Regular  
City Hall – City Council Chambers  
701 East Broadway  
Columbia, Missouri  
Citizens Police Review Board  
I. CALL TO ORDER  
Doug Hunt called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m.  
Board Members Present: Denise Balazic, Stephanie Coleman, Douglas Hunt, Steven  
Jeffrey, Xavier Lee Scruggs, and Jamie Thornsberry  
Excused Absence: Reece Ellis  
Unexcused Absence: None  
Staff Present: Assistant City Manager Matt Unrein, Assistant Chief Paul Dickinson, and  
Rose Wibbenmeyer  
Members of the public were present.  
II. INTRODUCTIONS  
There were introductions.  
III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA  
Steven Jeffery made a motion to approve the agenda. Xavier Scruggs seconded the  
motion. The motion passed unanimously.  
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES  
February 14, 2024 Draft Minutes  
Jamie Thornsberry made a motion to approve the draft open meeting minutes of the  
February 14, 2024, regular meeting. Stephanie Coleman and Denise Balazic seconded  
the motion. The motion passed unanimously.  
February 14, 2024 Draft Closed Meeting Minutes  
Steven Jeffery made a motion to approve the draft closed meeting minutes of the  
February 14, 2024, regular meeting. Xavier Scruggs seconded the motion. The motion  
passed unanimously.  
V. OLD BUSINESS  
VI. NEW BUSINESS  
Planning for Work Session on Police Policy 447  
The Board discussed planning for the work session. The Board reached consensus on  
April 24, 2024 for their work session. The Board would like food delivered at 5:30 p.m.,  
with the meeting starting at 6:00 p.m.  
Proposed Changes to Section 21-52(h)  
The Board discussed the proposed changes to Section 21-52(h).  
Xavier Scruggs made a motion to send a report to the City Council to recommend the  
proposed changes to Section 21-52(h). Steven Jeffrey seconded the motion.  
The motion passed unanimously.  
Appeal and Jurisdictional Review Procedures  
The Board discussed the appeal and jurisdictional review procedures.  
Role of Staff Liaisons  
The Board also discussed the role of the staff liaisons. Doug Hunt suggested the  
following wording for the role of staff liaisons: Liaisons appointed by City of Columbia  
agencies and departments may attend closed sessions of the Board to answer questions  
about policies and procedures in their areas of expertise. During such sessions they will  
not be advocates for any person or course of action.  
The Board discussed the language and decided to pass this item to next month’s agenda  
for consideration of an amendment to the Board’s bylaws.  
2023 Complaint Data  
The Board discussed their approach to their review of the 2023 complaint data. Doug  
Hunt summarized the number of complaints and discussed different ways to approach  
auditing complaints. Stephanie Coleman commented on the types of complaints last year  
and asked if the report could be sorted by allegation. Assistant Chief Dickinson said that  
he could prepare such a report.  
The Board reached consensus to look at the most common external complaints. This  
item was passed to next month’s agenda.  
Productive Outreach and Direction of Outreach Efforts  
The Board discussed productive outreach and the direction of outreach efforts. Stephanie  
Coleman talked about her presentations to school groups. Doug Hunt asked about other  
natural audiences for presentations. Doug Hunt also talked about brochures. Jamie  
Thornsberry mentioned the upcoming event for the public to get to know city departments  
and would like to suggest that the city have a similar event for boards and commissions.  
Xavier Scruggs discussed the policy work sessions and felt that the work sessions were  
an effective opportunity to engage with the public.  
Stephanie Coleman gave an update on the brochure process.  
FY 2025 Budget  
The Board discussed their budget. The Board reached consensus to recommend that  
funding be moved from miscellaneous contractual to food, the amount of funds needed to  
provide food for four events.  
Items for Next Months Agenda  
The Board discussed the following items for next month’s agenda.  
Old Business:  
Planning for work session on police policy 447  
Status of Change to Section 21-52(h)  
Review of 2023 complaints  
New Business:  
Items for Next Month’s Agenda  
Bylaw Amendment Staff liaison  
Brochure review  
Juneteenth Event  
Reports:  
Human Rights Commission  
Positive Connections, Training, Outreach and Ride Alongs  
VII. REPORTS  
Human Rights Commission  
There was no report.  
Positive Connections, Outreach, Training and Ride Alongs  
Doug Hunt talked about homeless outreach team in the evenings at Wilkes Boulevard  
church. He felt that it was having a quieting effect there. Doug Hunt saw officers  
intervene very usefully in a domestic dispute that the officers calmed down. Doug Hunt  
also said that Officer Moesel did a similar good job in intervening in a domestic dispute  
and worked diligently to resolve the dispute.  
Reece Ellis reported via email that he attended a community conversation hosted by the  
Commission on Human Rights on March 9, 2024. It was at the Public Library in the  
Friends room and had fairly good attendance with a mix of people from the community.  
D'eAndre Thompson served as the moderator for the discussion which centered around  
how people were experiencing or witnessing discrimination in our community. There was  
a big focus on things that perhaps are not intentionally discriminatory at least on  
their face, but present real barriers to access for all different kinds of communities. It  
included conversation about sidewalks and folks in the disability community, talk of  
public transportation and making Columbia more accessible to people who can not afford  
to or choose not to own a car, and the locations of voting centers. Most of the  
conversation kept coming back to how we can do better at making sure the people who  
are topics of policy conversations, especially people in minority or marginalized  
communities, are aware that they can participate in these conversations with civic  
leaders at these forums; and are having their perspectives meaningfully included  
instead of represented second hand by advocates. Reece Ellis reported that all were  
worthwhile conversations and that he was glad to have been informed of the event by the  
community members who attend our meetings.  
VIII. GENERAL COMMENTS BY PUBLIC, MEMBERS AND STAFF  
Doug Hunt announced the time limits for individuals and groups.  
Members of the public commented.  
Dr. Mehrdad Fotoohighiam commented and handed out a letter to the Board.  
Chriss Jones spoke on behalf of Hold CoMo accountable and commented about the  
Human Rights Commission event and encouraged the Board to do a listening session at  
the library. Chriss Jones mentioned the board’s discussion related to focusing on  
community complaints, rather than officer complaints. Chriss Jones encouraged the  
Board to also look at officer complaints. Chriss Jones emphasized that the community  
needs the Board and that complainants need to feel that they are heard.  
IX. MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION  
Jamie Thornsberry made a motion to go into closed session to discuss records which are  
protected from disclosure by law, Sections 610.021(14) and 590.502 RSMo. Steven  
Jeffrey seconded the motion.  
Denise Balazic, Stephanie Coleman, Douglas Hunt, Steven Jeffrey, Xavier Lee Scruggs,  
and Jamie Thornsberry voted in favor of the motion. No one voted against the motion. No  
one abstained. The motion passed.  
The open session of the meeting adjourned at 7:06 p.m. The Board adjourned to room 2A  
for closed session. The closed session ended at: 8:04 p.m.  
X. NEXT MEETING DATE  
Next Regular Meeting April 10, 2024  
XI. ADJOURNMENT  
Members of the public may attend any open meeting. For requests for accommodations related to  
disability, please call 573-874-CITY (573-874-2489) or email CITY@CoMo.gov. In order to assist staff in  
making the appropriate arrangements for your accommodation, please make your request as far in  
advance of the posted meeting date as possible.  
USB DRIVES PROHIBITED: Due to cybersecurity concerns, flash drives and other media devices  
are no longer permitted for delivering files or presentation materials. A speaker who desires to  
display a presentation must upload the presentation, in advance, to the city network using an  
upload portal. To upload your files and learn more, visit CoMo.gov/upload. (Effective Jan. 1,  
2023)