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COLUMBIA, MO. -- This coming Tuesday, the City of Columbia will have a new mayor for the first time in 15 years.

Mayor Darwin Hindman is not seeking re-election after serving seven terms.

Paul Love, 39, said he first thought about running for Columbia mayor after a woman was murdered a few blocks away from his house. After living in Columbia for more than 22 years, Love said he is upset by the upswing in Columbia’s crime.

“I think that we need to work with geographic policing," Love said. "I think that we need to strengthen our neighborhood watch. Currently, there are 5,000 out of 100,000 people involved in the neighborhood watch program. I’d like to see that double within the next three years, if I’m elected mayor. I know that’s not much, but it’s a low cost way to prevent crime in our town.”

When he’s not running for mayor, Love’s day job is a Network Administrator Columbia’s Carfax. Love said his experience working in high tech jobs gives him the advantage over the other mayoral candidates.

The former member of the National Guard said his high tech background would make it easier for him to attract new businesses to Columbia.

“If you haven’t found what you are looking for in local government, it’s because you have been looking for love in all the wrong places," Love said. "I don’t ask you to vote for me, I ask that you make sure that you look at the candidates.  Just get out and vote on April 6. However, if you get in the voting booth and look in your heart and find love there, I ask that you vote accordingly.”

Bob McDavid, Sal Nuccio, Sid Sullivan and Jerry Wade are also running for Columbia Mayor.

More Columbia Mayoral Candidate profiles are coming up each day this week