Video: CPD Looks To The Future

COLUMBUS,Miss.(WCBI)—The consultant hired by the Columbus City Council to take a look at the police department began his review Friday.

For the next six months, Turners Enterprises Incorporated will analyze the entire department, looking for areas to improve.

“We have a crime problem here in the City of Columbus,”said Columbus Mayor Robert Smith.

The December CPD monthly report shows there were 9 homicides, 34 robberies and 359 burglaries in 2016.

“It has increased over the last couple years but we want the citizens to be aware of what we are doing by bringing in a consultant,”said Smith.

The person analyzing the force, says those crime numbers signal a need for change.

“So we are going to look at all those issues and then some as well so where ever we can get data that we feel will make a contribution to allowing us as a team to make the best decision for the department and best for the community,”said President Turners Enterprises Incorporated  KB Turner.

Citizens will have a chance to voice their concerns, but first goals were set for the report.

“Find out the root causes that drives crime and also what are some of the vehicles used to decrease crime and that’s what we are going to try and do is to identify what are those factors,”said Turner.

Many residents feel reaching outside the city for help means problems are larger than they appear, but that’s not always the case.

” It doesn’t mean that because you bring in a consultant that some body’s done something awfully wrong it gives you a chance to evaluate and reevaluate and come up and devise some strategies to address where the short comings may be.This will be a transparent process and I hope that you heard me mention the term community and citizens they deserve to know what’s going on they are the public that’s why the police department exists,” said Turner.

Plans call for Floating Community Public Safety meetings, for residents to talk with the consulting group.