1786 - The City of Columbia is founded as the Capital of the State of South Carolina.

1797 - The City of Columbia's first government, independent of the General Assembly was set up to oversee the streets and markets.  Three main issues occupied most of their time:  public drunkenness, gambling and poor sanitation.

1805 - The Legislature granted Columbia its first charter and is incorporated as a town.  The municipal power was vested in one Intendent and six (6) wardens to be elected annually on the first Monday in April.  The city government was given authority to keep the peace, levy taxes, impose fines for offenses, pass ordinances, maintain the streets and market, sentence offenders to jail and require male inhabitants to clear the city streets.

1808 - The first law enforcement officer employed by the City of Columbia is Town Marshall Michael J. Shaffer whose duties include going through the town each Sunday... "once in the forenoon and once in the afternoon to suppress any riotous or disorderly conduct"... and to serve as clerk of the town market.

1817 - The town did not have a public clock, so the Town Marshall was required to ring a bell and announce the correct time, each hour, 10 o'clock in the summer months - May until September - and 9 o'clock the rest of the year.

1824 - (January 1st) - The Town Guard is authorized by Town Council.  To finance the Guard an additional 5% tax on real property was levied. In June, of the same year, the Guard organization was completed.  The Guard was composed of one Captain who is paid $33.33, a  month, two Sergeants who received $20.00 per month, and seven Privates who were each paid $18.00 a month.

1826 - (April 3rd)  Elections were held an W.F. Desaussure was elected Intendent.  Michael J. Shaffer was elected Captain of the Guard and W.C. Harrison was elected Town Marshal.  The Town of Columbia collected $2,075.35 from the citizens for patrol exemptions, (Citizens could buy an exemption from serving in the guard for $5.00) and paid out $2,321.74 for the Town Guard.

1853 - Principal town officials included:  Intendent and six Wardens; Council Clerk; Superintendent of Water Works; Town Physician; Overseer of the Streets; Keeper of the Clock and the Town Guard.

1854 - Columbia becomes incorporated as a city.  The Intendent becomes the Mayor, the Wardens become the Alderman. 

1855 - (December 21) William Thomas Cross, age 29, was shot while attempting to serve a warrant.  He died as a result of this gunshot wound.  His assailant was arrested, convicted of this murder and hanged on the fallows at the Court House.  This was Columbia's first officer to forfeit his life in police service to the City of Columbia.

1856 - Columbia establishes a police force consisting of a full-time chief and nine patrolmen.  The starting salary for the patrolmen is $16.00 per month.  They did not wear uniforms, but, instead wore black suits with black hats and carried "billy-clubs". They patrolled in pairs and there was never a question as to "who the police were".

Police Roster

John Burdell - Chief of Police

M. Armistead - Patrolman

William Baugh  - Patrolman

Paul Bofil - Patrolman

J.M. Coker - Patrolman

Thomas Harrison - Patrolman

James Rose - Patrolman

Jackson Starling - Patrolman

James W. Still - Patrolman

W.C. Strickland - Patrolman

1861 - America enters into the Civil War and the Arsenal Academy cadets are ordered to serve as Columbia's night guard patrol.

1864 - Police salaries are increased and the number of police officers is raised to seventeen with plans to add eight more.  The War between the States was raging and especially troublesome were the number of unlicensed bars selling alcohol.

1865 - At a City Council meeting on February 7th, just ten days before General Sherman's army burned the City, twenty-two local citizens are fined at least $19.50 after being arrested for illegal alcohol sales.  John Burdell is reappointed as the Chief of Police.

1866 - Columbia  is under military marshal law by the Federal Army.  Crimes of petty larceny, burglary, drunk/disorderly and vagrancy have increased and with the army's permission the citizens of Columbia form a "City Guard".  The guard was a self styled militia composed of males sixteen to sixty years of age and was used to patrol streets after the hours of darkness.

1874 - M. Frank Nixon is appointed Chief of Police.

1878 - The general assembly  of 1878 abolish the practice of public executions, (hangings).  Under the act of 1878 the death penalty could only be inflicted on a criminal within the Jail enclosure.

1882 - The Columbia Police start using bicycles for patrol duty.   The police are also reimbursed when they have to pay a horse drawn hack driver, (taxi driver) to transport prisoners to jail.

1885 - Eldred S. Fickling is Chief of Police and Joseph A. Randall is Assistant Chief of Police.  W.D. Hamilton and W.L. Hoy are sergeants and the police department has thirteen patrol officers.

1890 - William W. Higbe was appointed Chief of Police.  Chief Higbe was born in Akron, Ohio.  He served during the War between the States with the 119th Ohio Infantry, and was wounded right above his left knee and the doctors wanted to amputate his leg.  He refused.  A general arrived and said to give him his wish.  He joined the Columbia Police Department in 1876 and served for sixteen years.

1894 - Owen Daly is appointed Chief of Police.  During this period of time the police officers were on duty for two six hour shifts each day, seven days per week.  Chief Daly changed this duty schedule to one twelve hour shift per day, seven  days per week.

1897 - The Police Department orders a custom built patrol wagon to transport prisoners to jail.  The first driver is Marion P. Kramer and the wagon is drawn by two horses who were called "Mag" and "Sheriff".

1899 - On the night of March 30th Columbia's second city hall and police department are destroyed by fire.

1901 - A two story police barracks is built on the north side of the 1100 block og Gervais Street.  The barracks was constructed of brick and cost $6,000.00.  The horse barn was located on the south side of 1000 Senate Street.

1910 - Chief W.C. Cathcart purchased a motorized patrol wagon (known as the Black Maria) and the first two police motorcycles were put into police service.  The police department operating expenses for the year was $44,851.00 and it was composed of forty-four officers.