At the direction of Columbia Police Chief William ‘Skip’ Holbrook and in the interest of public safety, the following modifications will go into effect tomorrow, Monday, March 16, 2020.
The Columbia Police Department will:
· All emergency calls will be handled following normal operational protocols.
· Police Headquarters lobby will be closed to the public. Citizens will be redirected or screened by staff via intercom and telephone at the main entrance.
· Regional offices will be closed to the public. Region staff will triage citizen walk ups and address appropriately on case by case basis.
· Police response will be limited to emergency/in-progress calls.
· Non-emergency calls will be handled by phone.
· Non-emergency police reports will be completed over the phone or online as usual. www.columbiapd.net for On-line Reporting.
· Property checks will be expanded to include any closed businesses or businesses with modified hours of operation. Business owners should contact the CPD at 803-545-3500 to be added to the property check list.
· All external CPD community meetings and events have already been postponed until further notice.