Bias-free Columbia Coalition to discuss bias in Police Department

COLUMBIA — The Bias-free Columbia Coalition will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Columbia City Hall to discuss racial bias in the Columbia Police Department.

The coalition includes the NAACP, Columbia Police Department, ACLU, the Missouri Association for Social Welfare, the Human Rights Commission, the Chancellor's Diversity Initiative, CoMo Citizens and the Missouri Civil Liberties Association.

Tuesday's event is the second in a series that will focus on racial bias in traffic stops and ways to improve officers’ professional techniques.

Jerry East, crime analyst for the Columbia Police Department, will give a presentation on the results of his analyses, said Don Love, chapter chairman of the Missouri Association for Social Welfare. According to previous Missourian reporting, Love presented information on racial bias in the Columbia Police Department during the coalition's last meeting. 

Later meetings will explore bias toward Muslims and Latinos and ways that officer training might be improved.