CPD is currently down 21 officers; Saturday open house planned

Saturday is your opportunity to take a close look at the Columbia Police Department’s BearCat SWAT vehicle and mobile command posts.

CPD plans an open house tomorrow from 10 am to 2 pm at its regional training center on Meyer Industrial drive. Columbia assistant police chief Jeremiah Hunter says representatives from the department’s SWAT team, criminal investigations division and K-9 unit will also be on-hand to discuss their roles and answer questions.

CPD also hopes the open house will assist in their ongoing recruitment drive. The department currently has 21 vacancies to fill, down from 23 in April.

Columbia Police chief Geoff Jones met with Governor Mike Parson in April at the Statehouse in Jefferson City to discuss recruitment and retention efforts. Chief Jones has said that the Columbia Area Career Center (CACC) will help improve CPD’s recruiting through youth career path training. Jones says having the career center will allow CPD to better prepare youth to be officers in this environment.