Every month the West Columbia Police Department publishes statistics as it relates to crime and law enforcement.  “It helps us see how we’re doing and what we need to pay attention to,” said West Columbia Police Chief Marion Boyce. “One of the things we focus on is response time. Our response time has been below six minutes for every month in 2024. That’s very good.  The lowest response time was 5:01 in January and the highest was 5:55 in June.”

The West Columbia Police Department also takes advantage of technology that can be applied to help combat crime. 

A couple of years ago, the West Columbia Police Department implemented ShotSpotter software across a portion of West Columbia to identify, locate, and deter gun violence. The real-time alerts from ShotSpotter notify police precisely when and where gun incidents occur, resulting in a faster, more accurate response to the scene to better attend to gunshot victims, recover evidence, and interview witnesses.

Boyce said the program has been effective. “Last year, 2024, was the second year we used ShotSpotter,” he said. “It has resulted in a reduction in the number of shootings by 30 percent. The number of guns fired in West Columbia is down. And we’re able to find evidence and make arrests much quicker because of ShotSpotter.” 

Technology in police cars includes license plate readers that detect plates that correspond with outstanding warrants, stolen vehicles or other reported tags involving criminal activity.

Cars are also equipped with both-direction radar, and a dash camera. Besides evolving technology, officers undergo several weeks of field training throughout the year. 

Using technology with the statistical information the department collects has had a direct impact on decreasing criminal activity. Data-driven policing is the use of analytical information to acknowledge and identify crimes or targets in order to more efficiently deliver police intervention.

“Using data to identify high-incidence areas helps us police those spots better,” said Boyce. “We collect the data and that helps us decide where to focus our resources.” 

Boyce said data revealed in 2024, the WCPD received 40,294 calls for service and almost 1,100 arrests were made. Of those arrests, the use of force was required in only 23 incidents. 

“I give all the credit to our patrol officers,” Boyce Said. “Their professionalism and the good job they do is part of the culture of the West Columbia Police Department. 

Boyce said planning for 2025 includes a focus on decreasing the number of vehicle thefts by getting the message out to not leave your car running, while you’re warming it up. He also said patrols to stop Driving Under the Influence would be stepped up. The WCPD made 29 DUI arrests in the month of December 2024. That was the highest monthly total for the year.

Boyce also said the WCPD is looking for recruits. Starting salaries for police officers are competitive and there are promotion opportunities and other incentives for officers. “We’re always looking to bring in the right person and put them in the right position,” Boyce said. 

He also said the WCPD strives to provide leadership opportunities and education for its officers and outfits them with the tools and knowledge they need for high level performance. Click here to find out more: Click on images below to enlarge