Former Police Chief Charles P. Austin, now Columbia’s city manager, established KOBAN in 1995. The nonprofit organization with the Japanese name is designed around the concept of community interdependence and policing.

Funded partly by The Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation in Washington, D.C., the program is a partnership among the Columbia Police Department, KOBAN Columbia Inc. and the Columbia Housing Authority. KOBAN Columbia operates two programs in Columbia -- the KOBAN - Youth Safe Haven, Police Mini-station Program (KOBAN), and the Quantum Opportunities Program (QOP).

KOBAN sites are police mini-stations and retreats located in the communities they serve. Full-time police officers provide increased community policing and a safe haven for children and adults.

Working closely with a youth-oriented community organization gives the KOBAN an additional resource, in this case KOBAN Inc. and the Columbia Housing Authority. In the community, the KOBAN staff gets to know the residents better and uses other community resources. Community problems, especially those related to crime, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, etc., can be referred to the Housing Authority, a social worker or the KOBAN staff.

Two QOP sites are in Columbia. QOP is designed to help educationally disadvantaged and high-risk youth improve their academic performance so they can graduate from high school. From there, they are encouraged to attend college or participate in advanced skills training.

QOP is a balanced, year-round, four-year program for randomly selected rising ninth graders. Each student participates in 250 hours annually of activities involving education, development and service. They work with caring adult counselors who serve as mentors, role models, disciplinarians, advocates and problem solvers.

Participating in the program can lead to financial incentives, including stipends and bonuses. Matching contributions to individual accrual accounts can be used for toward expenses for college or advanced skills training.

QOP participants can take advantage of top-notch education and technology tools, along with development and service activities. They also can receive assistance when choosing a college, learning more about current events and their culture.