93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
City councilman Ian Thomas is at odds with Columbia’s police union.
Thomas said “There are serious violations occurring to people of color. Have been for a generation,” during a discussion about a draft report on community policing during Monday night’s council meeting.
The Columbia Police Officers Association in a release on Wednesday called that a wild accusation, and said Thomas should provide proof the violations are happening in town or apologize.
“I apologize to all Columbia Police Department officers for giving the impression that I was criticizing them, which was not my intention at all,” Thomas said in a statement released Wednesday. “The point I was making was that I was disappointed that the tone of Sgt. Fox’s plan/report at times embodies an “us versus them” mentality, when community policing requires a positive spirit of collaboration between police professionals and the general public.”
(This story was last updated at 11:14 a.m. Wednesday.)
