Columbia’s city manager predicts the hiring of the city’s first Office of Violence Prevention administrator will help shape a safer and stronger future for the city.
City manager De’Carlon Seewood announced D’Markus Thomas-Brown’s hiring during this week’s city council meeting. Thomas-Brown starts on March 31.
Mr. Seewood proposed the creation of the new position during his May 2024 state of the city address. He describes the new position as a groundbreaking step in efforts to reduce community violence.
Thomas-Brown earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia College. He’s worked as the regional director of Good Dads Inc. since 2024.
Mr. Seewood has also told 939 the Eagle that stopping Columbia’s violence must also include providing support and tools that law enforcement needs to be successful. Mayor Barbara Buffalo first proposed creation of the new office in October 2023, after the killing of a three-year-old child.
