Columbia Police Department launches smartphone app

Smartphone users can now download the ColumbiaPD app to their devices.

The free app allows users to report non-emergency crimes that such as accidents, graffiti, shoplifting and suspicious activity.

“That information can be useful because that will help us identify areas that may be seeing more suspicious activity or may be seeing different types of suspicious activity, and allow us to be a little more proactive or target the more hotspot areas,” said CPD spokesperson Bryana Larimer.

Larimer said the app is to not report crimes in progress. Those should still be reported by calling 911.

An app for the department has been a work in progress for several years, according to Larimer. The department worked with the city’s IT department to develop the app.

Larimer said developing the app in-house will allow them to expand and add more features to the app in the future.