Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County, has about 145,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from Columbia depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: Columbia public records, Richland County police reports, Columbia arrest records, Columbia warrants, Columbia criminal records, Columbia court records, South Carolina arrest records and South Carolina inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from Columbia
A crime, incident or collision report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, and that agency releases it, not the court, the jail or the prosecutor.
Inside Columbia that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as Columbia Police Department); outside it, the Richland County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the Highway Patrol in Richland County in Richland County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The FBI's agency list also places seven state agencies, three campus police departments and one other agency in Richland County, each with a records office of its own.
The Cayce Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Richland County, so its arrests are not broken out for Richland County here.
Reports from the Columbia Police
For Columbia, SearchSystems opened and checked the Columbia police records page at columbiapd.net/submit-a-police-report (page title: Submit a Police Report | City of Columbia Police Department), phone (803) 252-2911, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for Columbia had 1,163 violent and 4,640 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,628 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Richland County Sheriff's Office
The Richland County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 1,227 violent and 4,837 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 2,479 arrests for 2025.
Its reports come from its records unit.
What the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act Requires
Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act the agency must answer a request within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old, and it may charge search, retrieval and copying at the agency's actual cost. The request goes to the agency that holds the report, in writing, and does not have to say why the report is wanted.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in Columbia?
From the agency that took it. The Columbia police records page is at columbiapd.net/submit-a-police-report, phone (803) 252-2911; the sheriff's reports come from the Richland County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in Columbia have to answer?
Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act, within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old. It may charge search, retrieval and copying at the agency's actual cost.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in Columbia?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the Highway Patrol in Richland County in Richland County.
How do I get a report from the Richland County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit. Under the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act the answer is due within 10 business days, or 20 for records more than two years old.
Is this the official Columbia website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.