Betsy Peters

Infrastructure / Transportation Our City’s resilience is directly linked with the status of our infrastructure. This includes sanitary and storm sewers, electric and water services as well as transportation.  This is especially important in growing communities like Columbia.  I have worked with the city to expand the Columbia Airport, repair and replace transmission lines, repair the city sewer lines and replace private sewer lines. As the 6th Ward representative, I will continue to prioritize our infrastructure needs to accommodate the economic challenges of our community while also working to improve our development and living standards. Infrastructure / Transportation Our City’s resilience is directly linked with the status of our infrastructure. This includes sanitary and storm sewers, electric and water services as well as transportation.  This is especially important in growing communities like Columbia.  I have worked with the city to expand the Columbia Airport, repair and replace transmission lines, repair the city sewer lines and replace private sewer lines. As the 6th Ward representative, I will continue to prioritize our infrastructure needs to accommodate the economic challenges of our community while also working to improve our development and living standards. Criminal Justice / Public Safety People need to feel safe in their community, but they also need to feel safe around the police.  It is an unfortunate fact of life that police officers have to be prepared to meet violence with violence.  What is essential, is that they understand that such action is an absolute last resort.  Through our training and hiring practices, we must ensure our police department promotes alternative methods of conflict resolution.  Especially in regard to marginalized communities within Columbia.  Unconscious bias training for the Columbia Missouri Police is a good start, but there is more that we can do to handle the violence that the job requires of them.  We all want to live in a secure and vibrant community and we all want to feel safe and protected.  Let’s work together to identify and support prevention programs for early intervention while also supporting our police force in the difficult work they do. Criminal Justice / Public Safety People need to feel safe in their community, but they also need to feel safe around the police.  It is an unfortunate fact of life that police officers have to be prepared to meet violence with violence.  What is essential, is that they understand that such action is an absolute last resort.  Through our training and hiring practices, we must ensure our police department promotes alternative methods of conflict resolution.  Especially in regard to marginalized communities within Columbia.  Unconscious bias training for the Columbia Missouri Police is a good start, but there is more that we can do to handle the violence that the job requires of them.  We all want to live in a secure and vibrant community and we all want to feel safe and protected.  Let’s work together to identify and support prevention programs for early intervention while also supporting our police force in the difficult work they do.