*Note: The March installment of “Street Talk” featured news about The Penguin closing; since publication, Columbia’s Penguin Piano Bar has a new owner: Dan Rader, owner of MyHouse. Learn more in our April installment of “Street Talk.”
The Columbia Police Department made an average of twelve arrests a day in 2024, according to data the department recently reported on its Facebook page. CPD responded to 114,533 “incidents” in 2024, which included 78,276 responses to citizen calls for service (an average of 216 per day), while officers initiated more than 36,000 incidents themselves.
The department reported that officers made 4,320 arrests in 2024. In addition, the internal report on police reports noted that in 2024, officers encountered situations requiring force in 181 incidents, representing just 0.16 percent of all interactions with citizens. The “use of force” numbers are broken down into numerous categories. Some that are mentioned were “joint manipulation (40),” “Taser laser/arc display (44),” “drawing/exhibit firearm (132),” “other physical force (25),” “Taser deploy/drive stun (11),” “pepper spray (8),” and “firearm discharge at person (6).” The firearm discharge number was accounted for with one incident on June 4, 2024.
CPD’s Facebook post noted that four of the 2024 “use of force” incidents were found to be “improper” and not within policy, which would have led to further review.
We’re curious to hear from our readers: What were your interactions with Columbia police officers in 2024? (Anyone out there with an electrifying Taser experience?)
A Better Kind of Court …
The rendering for the new basketball courts at Douglass Park is eye-popping. The paved courts closed the week of February 9 for renovation that is supposed to be completed by June 2025, weather permitting. The Columbia Parks and Recreation Department announced the work on Facebook.
The City Council on February 16 unanimously decided to continue with the project but directed Parks and Rec staff to seek additional input on the court’s name. The city wants to name one of the courts for former University of Missouri women’s basketball assistant coach Willie Cox. Douglass Park neighborhood residents want the court naming to reflect the area’s historical connections.
The basketball courts will be improved with LED lighting and custom sports court surfacing featuring black and gold designs inspired by the Mizzou athletics department — which is helping fund the work. The renovation is funded through the 2021 Park Sales Tax, contributions from Veterans United, Mizzou, and a Community Revitalization Grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.
Twenty-Some Years of ‘Sweet Caroline’
The singalongs, live music, and an element of Columbia’s eclectic downtown night vibe has pulled the plug. The Penguin Piano Bar and Restaurant is closed, less than a year after a grand reopening. Club owner Jesse Garcia announced the closure on Facebook. “We tried to bring some vibrant nightlife to Columbia and worked very hard to make it all work. Unfortunately, there were some hurdles that we could not conquer … Thank you for the more than 20 years of Sweet Caroline singalongs and maybe someday we’ll try again.”
The Penguin closed during the COVID pandemic, finally reopening in March 2024 with a full menu and lineup of live music. Garcia did not specify the “hurdles” he encountered, but other media outlets, city court records, reported that the business faced a flurry of lawsuits from vendors and for back rent.
Grindstone, Highway 63 Reconfiguration
Work was expected to start before the end of February on the Grindstone Parkway/East New Haven Road intersection realignment. The Missouri Department of Transportation awarded the $10.9 million project to Emery Sapp and Sons in October.
The project will realign Lenoir Street east, widen Grindstone/New Haven and erect traffic signal lights at Lenoir and New Haven directly outside of New Haven Elementary School. The project also shifts traffic lights on the U.S. 63 overpass to the intersection of Lemone Industrial Boulevard and the former location of Lenoir Street, which will become the new loop ramp onto U.S. 63 northbound, along with the off ramp from northbound U.S. 63.
