School is always in at the Columbia Police Department’s Training and Career Development Division. That’s where officers and civilians head to boost their knowledge of law enforcement. Sworn officers also attend classes to maintain their Class 1 Law Enforcement Certification.

The Training Division is located downtown at 1632 Hampton Street. A lieutenant, sergeant, corporal and two master police officers make up the full-time staff. Assisting them are 47 certified instructors throughout the department.

The pre-service and in-service training is available to the more than 300 sworn officers and over 100 civilian employees. Those attending the Basic Candidate School take a variety of classes, including Courtroom Procedures, Basic Marksmanship and Ethics in Law Enforcement. The ongoing in-service training program consists of four quarterly training sessions, with the focus on firearms, defensive tactics/officer survival and emergency vehicle operations training. Additional training is available.

The Training Division also sponsors the Citizens Police Academy twice a year. Those who participate in the academy have a better idea of what it is like to be a Columbia police officer. To learn more about the Citizens Police Academy, visit the Web site http://www.columbiapd/cpaa/ or call the Training Division at (803) 255-8925.

Our Mission Statement

The Training and Career Development Division is committed to setting the standard in law enforcement training. We are enthusiastic in our quest to bring our officers and civilian employees the best and latest in police training to help them reach their professional goals and ensure public safety. We ensure that training opportunities are provided on a continual basis during varied times/shifts and on weekends. We do not think less of ourselves, we simply think of ourselves less. The officers and civilians who make up the Columbia Police Department are our first priority. We measure our success based on the results of the training on the personnel we serve, their satisfaction, and their success, and their ability to serve the public.

Required Training

To maintain a Class 1 Law Enforcement Certification for the Columbia Police Department, officers must meet South Carolina state regulations annually:

·    Law Enforcement Emergency Vehicle training (non-emergency response training, emergency response training and pursuit training)

·    Criminal Domestic Violence training (minimum four hours)

·    Legal Update training (minimum two hours)

·    Academy-approved elective training (no minimum)

Certification lasts three years.  The above must be accomplished each of the three years.  Officers must have a total of 40 hours of qualifying training to be re-certified.  An officer’s certification date is normally the date they graduated from the academy.

Columbia Police Department Requirements

These minimum annual requirements must be met, along with the state certification requirements:

·   Biased-based Profiling and Prevention training

·   OC Spray recertification

·   Collapsible Baton recertification

·   Blood Borne Pathogen/TB training

·   Sexual Harassment Prevention training

·   Firearms Qualification