Public Safety Committee

COLUMBIA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023 CALL TO ORDER The Columbia Public Safety Committee met on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at City Hall (Mayor's Conference Room), 1737 Main Street, Columbia, South Carolina. The Honorable Howard E. Duvall, Jr., Chair called the meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. Attendee Name Title Status Arrived Howard E. Duvall Chair Present Tina N. Herbert Member Present Peter M. Brown Member Present PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATES 1. Columbia Police Department Update - Mr. William "Skip" Holbrook, Police Chief Mr. William "Skip" Holbrook, Columbia Police Chief provided year-to-date statistics on the Crime in Columbia along with a year-to-date comparison, four week total and current and previous week comparisons. Crime totals are down by 2%. He presented the person hit shooting and ShotSpotter dashboards. These dashboards provide demographic information by police region. Year-to-date, ShotSpotter has provided 900 alerts. He highlighted the Gun Violence Assessment and Action Plan for August 2023, which is a renewed strategic focus. The biggest advancement has been the real-time crime center. Current initiatives include: Operation Hope and Order, Operation Welcome Back, USC Campus Village Public Safety Initiative, and the alternative response initiative. The committee asked that future reports include the total number of vehicles that were locked and unlocked when stolen. Vehicles for Hire Mr. William "Skip" Holbrook, Columbia Police Chief explained that any vehicle operating for hire in the city of Columbia is required to obtain a chauffeurs permit through the Columbia Police Department. Permits must be displayed within the vehicle. City Code requires a driver's license with a clean 10-year record, physical examination by a physician, a SLED criminal report, negative drug test, two recent photographs, a $25 application fee, and participation in the Famously Hot Hospitality Class for new permits. He reported that a rogue taxi service has been identified and we will take the appropriate enforcement action. Page 1 of 3  COLUMBIA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023 Ms. Indika Bandara expressed concerns about a taxi cab operating in this city without meeting the requirements. There should be a rule requiring a business owner to have lived here for a year before applying for a permit. There was consensus of the committee to encourage Ms. Bandara to report additional concerns to the city. 2. Columbia - Richland Fire Department Update - Mr. Aubrey D. Jenkins, Fire Chief Mr. Will Broscious, Community Risk Reduction Chief / Fire Accreditation provided an update on First Due, which is the department's records management system and part of the daily fire management system that was implemented a month ago. Phase two consists of installing communications systems at all fire stations. Mr. Aubrey D. Jenkins, Columbia Fire Chief reported that the department is working with Fleet Services on current needs and to improve efficiencies. All personnel have been sized and the second set of bunker gear has been ordered with expected delivery by the end of the year. The city acquired land for the new Olympia Fire House and the Procurement Department has worked through the request for qualifications for the training burn building. Recently, conditional offers have been made to 23 firefighters. Year-to-Date Highlights:  3,388 training hours  3,363 inspections  1,000 public education events, 589 plan reviews, and 145 special events year.  23,268 calls  Performed CPR 122 times  Used specialized equipment for technical rescues 336 times.  Administered Narcan 93 times for suspected opioid overdoses.  Developed a 2022 Annual Report Committee members encouraged the Fire Department to begin working with local businesses to develop public-private partnerships. There was support for restoring the Adopt-a-Fire Station Program. Page 2 of 3  COLUMBIA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023 3. Columbia Emergency Management Department Update - Mr. Harry Tinsley, Director Mr. Harry Tinsley, Director of Emergency Management reported that 137 camera sites are currently operational. The Command Central Aware Platform will be used for live-monitoring of security cameras, video analytics and other technology integrations. We work with area partners to develop incident action plans for planned and emergency events. The Emergency Management team participated in numerous activities and tours to include the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Graded Full-Scale Exercise 50 Mile Emergency Protection Zone, a Hurricane Workshop with SCEMD, and the Urban League Youth Academy EOC Tour. Committee members inquired about Active Intruder Training. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 2:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted: Erika D. Moore Hammond, CMC City Clerk Page 3 of 3

COLUMBIA PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2023 The Columbia Public Safety Committee will conduct a meeting on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at City Hall (Mayor's Conference Room), 1737 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. Members of the public may view the meeting online at www.columbiasc.gov. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (803)545-3045 or cityclerk@columbiasc.gov if you have questions regarding the meeting. The Honorable Howard E. Duvall, Jr., At-Large  The Honorable Tina N. Herbert, District I The Honorable Peter M. Brown, District IV Prior to entering the meeting please turn all electronic communication devices to the silent, vibrate or off position. All presenters are asked to speak directly into the microphone for recording purposes. CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATES 1. Columbia Police Department Update - Mr. William "Skip" Holbrook, Police Chief 2. Columbia - Richland Fire Department Update - Mr. Aubrey Jenkins, Fire Chief 3. Columbia Emergency Management Department Update - Mr. Harry Tinsley, Director ADJOURNMENT Page 1 of 1