Columbia to convert airport and parks safety staff to sworn police assignments amid hiring challenges
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Summary
City officials said four park positions and two airport safety positions will become sworn police positions in FY26 so they fall under the police chief's chain of command and pension plan; staff cited hiring and supervision challenges for the change.
Columbia officials told the City Council that several park and airport safety positions will be reclassified as sworn police officer assignments to improve supervision, align pension coverage and address persistent hiring difficulties.
What staff proposed Budget staff and the police department presented a plan to make four park safety positions and two airport safety positions into sworn police officer positions and to treat them as specialized police assignments similar to school resource officers or detectives. Chief leadership said post-certified employees must be supervised by the police chief under state guidance, and consolidating those roles within the police department will improve oversight.
Staff rationale and operational details City staff said the positions had been difficult to fill as park rangers or airport public-safety officers, which were covered by a different pension system and paid at different rates. "We just haven't gotten that level of interest... we haven't been able to hire a park ranger," a staff presenter said. Bringing the roles into police classification will make them a standard specialized assignment; officers will apply and be selected per contract rules. The positions are intended to cover park trails, special events and airport security duties.
Budget and staffing implications Staff acknowledged modest additional payroll and pension costs for the reclassification but characterized them as manageable. The presentation said the change was expected to cost less than $12,000 per position in added annual expense compared with prior pay structures (staff-provided estimate). Staff also said the airport and parks assignments will be staffed on 12-hour shifts and that the department will continue to adjust operations to meet TSA screening and airport operational hours.
Why it matters The change affects how the city staffs parks and airport security functions, how those employees are compensated and how their duties are supervised. It also has modest near-term budget implications due to higher sworn-officer compensation and pension participation.
Council follow-up Council members asked for clarification on pension differences and fiscal impacts; staff said numeric details would be included in budget documents and that they would return with final numbers.