Columbia Borough Council used part of its Sept. 9 meeting to recognize promotions and life‑saving actions by the Columbia Borough Police Department. Chief of Police introduced Lieutenant Holly Arndt as the department’s first female lieutenant and described her career and training.

Arndt’s background: The chief read a biographical summary noting that Arndt graduated from York College with a bachelor’s in criminal justice, began service in 2004 in corrections, joined the county sheriff’s office, and became a Columbia patrol officer in 2008. Staff said she developed the department’s defensive tactics program, served on county crash and forensic teams, trained field officers for the department, took leadership training (FBI National Academy and a Penn State leadership series), and will attend Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command.

Arndt received the lieutenant bars and briefly addressed the council: “This is an honor. It’s an honor every day to wear this badge and to wear this patch. I love Columbia, and I’m excited about this new position,” she said.

Life‑saving awards: The department also presented letter‑of‑accommodation life‑saving awards to Lieutenant Arndt, Officer Frank Ember and Officer Rebecca Blatt for a March 29, 2025 rescue. At about 1:56 p.m., county dispatch sent officers to a welfare check on the Columbia‑Wrightsville Bridge, where a woman sat on the bridge ledge. Officers Ember arrived first and engaged the woman; when Arndt and Blatt arrived they took positions to pull the woman to safety, and Ember kept her attention. The woman was transported to a hospital for mental‑health treatment after officers removed her from the ledge.

Why it matters: The promotion marks the first time Columbia’s police department has named a lieutenant and recognizes in‑service leadership and training contributions. The awards highlighted an incident in which officers intervened to prevent a likely self‑harm event.

Council and community reaction: Council members and staff praised the officers for service, training efforts and community involvement; the mayor and council congratulated Lieutenant Arndt during the meeting.