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Special Projects Division

Special projects has been designed to work with multiple departments/City Divisions/ and companies; both in and outside of the Police Department.  Personnel within special projects are tasked with research and implementation of technological advances for the Police Department along with aiding the office of the Chief in specific areas of command interest.

Assignments include but are not limited to:

  • Technology Research – In an ever growing world of technological advances it is imperative that law enforcement agencies stay on top of new and upcoming systems.  To this cause, special projects personnel are tasked with seeking out new and improved ways of completing law enforcement responsibilities with the dynamically changing technology opportunities.  New system and contacts are sought and collaboration with manufactures of such systems is engaged for the promotion of the department and its resources.
  • Vendor Acquisition and Development – As new and improved products are introduced to the technology industry; this area is tasked with opening channels of communication with prospective business partners, and creating an atmosphere of cooperation and partnership.
  • Information Technology Liaison – Being that the City of Columbia, as a whole, possesses an Information Technology Department; their needs to be a seemly relationship between the Police Department and those tasked with working with the Police Department from City IT.  Officer of Special Project perform these tasks.
  • Product Evaluation – When new ideas and products are offered to the department members of this unit work with the vendors and City IT in determining usefulness of proposed opportunities.
  • Product Maintenance – On any given day there are between five(5) to ten(10) projects in some form of conception or implementation.  Along with this the Columbia Police Department has software and hardware designed to aid officer in performing their assigned tasked with keeping them safe.  Each of these systems are maintained in part by this area of the department.  Some of these system are:
  • Mobile computer operations
  • Computerized Field Based Report
  • Records Management
  • Scheduling Systems
  • Vehicle equipment (Onboard computers, Cameras, Tracking Systems, License Plate Recognition Systems etc:)
  • Officer Training – As new equipment and products are implemented the initial officer training is the responsibility of Special Project.
  • Strategic Planning – How and when the Columbia Police Department moves forward in the area of personnel deployment, resource allocations is part of the strategies tasked with this unit.  Working in tandem with Upper Command staff Special project develops models consideration and implementation.
  • Fiscal Management – Grant funded programs are a large part of technology acquisition.  Through these sources and inter budget funds persons within the Special Projects unit work to keep technology operable and up to date.
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