COLUMBIA — The Columbia Police Department on Friday discussed a new online method for reporting shoplifting cases with businesses in the city.
Police invited several businesses to learn about a website form for reporting incidents, set to be available for all citizens and businesses starting in December.
The form is meant to save time for citizens and police reporting smaller crimes.
The form has only a few incident options for people to report, which are stealing under $500, shoplifting under $500, telephone harassment, vandalism and lost property excluding license plates.
Assistant Police Chief Mark Fitzgerald said “It will absolutely lead to better data, better allocation of police resources, and more criminal prosecution.”
At the meeting, officers showed business owners and operators how to fill out the form for shoplifting. The form does not allow reports of stealing or shoplifting over $500 and asks users to call the police to file …