Due to the recent increase in property crimes, the Columbia Police Department has implemented a program in cooperation with the Richland County Sheriff's Department to alert residents of possible crime incidents through the Central Communications E911 Reverse 911 program.

In the event the City of Columbia Police Department may have the need to provide crime notification or instructions to households in a specific area, the police department will utilize an automated system that the Columbia-Richland 911 Communications Center utilizes in order to deliver a pre-recorded message via a telephony database. The Reverse 911 system is utilized for emergency notification purposes only, and is a critical component in the public information system.