Message from Chief Marion Boyce
I am honored to be entrusted with the opportunity to further serve the West Columbia Police Department as the Chief. Working with the Mayor, City Council, City Administration, and our wonderful community, we will continue to provide and enhance a culture of proactive community policing and deliver a quality police service to all our residents and visitors.
My goals, vision, and mission all engage the community. Based on the six pillars of 21st Century policing, building trust and legitimacy, policy and oversight, technology and social media, community policing and crime reduction, officer training and education, and officer safety and wellness, we currently have a sound foundation at West Columbia.
To support further support the mental health of our community, we have partnered with the University of South Carolina’s College of Social Work, putting graduate-level social work students into the West Columbia Police Department to help bridge the gap between community resources and the people struggling with mental health and/or substance use issues. Our officers work to refer cases to them and, in doing so, we are seeing a decrease in visits to the emergency department and the jail. If you are a West Columbia resident and are experiencing these issues, please call us at 803-939-8624.
I have been and will continue to attend neighborhood and business meetings in West Columbia, specifically for our citizens and business owners to have an opportunity to voice their concerns. We are working collaboratively with our communities to help mitigate previous concerns and look forward to working with our businesses and residents in the future. Our Community Action Team welcomes invitations to any neighborhood meetings in the City of West Columbia. They are available to present on safety issues and crime prevention as well.
The men and women of the West Columbia Police Department provide services to the community so that it remains clean and safe. We continue to build an environment for residents and visitors to come and enjoy our parks, residential areas, green spaces, restaurants, retail, and businesses day or night. Chief Boyce can be reached at (803) 794-0721, Ext. 181 or mboyce@westcolumbiasc.gov.