Devine Street merchants have noticed a noticeable drop in crime since the Columbia police made good on its promises and increased its presence in the area.

More frequent nighttime patrols and regular daytime appearances by Officer A. Reese on a Segway personal transporter have "had a very positive effect," according to Michael Arket, who co- owns Tranquil Moments Day Spa on Queen Street. "The last incident noted on the street was August 18, and to my knowledge there has been nothing reported since."

The merchants met on August 11 with Columbia Mayor Bob Coble, police chief Tandy Carter, and other key safety officials during which store owners aired their grievances about dozens of break- ins in the area and complaints about what they called a lack of police support regarding their plight. The group gathered again on August 25 at Simply Savory, and the meeting, merchants reported "was much more toned down" in light of the recent initiatives.

"We think we have made some progress," said Carter in an interview with the Star on Wednesday. "Of course, there is always more work to do, but we are pleased with what is going on right now with the use of marked patrol cars, unmarked cars, and daytime T- 3 (Segway) when possible."

In the weeks since the meetings, Arket said "the merchants have noticed that the police force is really trying to make proactive steps" to make Devine Street an undesirable target for smash- and- grab burglaries and shoplifting.

Perry Lancaster, president of the Devine Street Association, said "it's business as usual" with the heightened patrols in the area.

"It's going terrific," Lancaster said. "We've had a tremendous amount of support from the police and things are thankfully back to normal around here."

He cited as an example, a sidewalk sale on August 22 with "all kinds of police enforcement around" and no incidents reported.

"We were grateful for their presence," Lancaster said.

During the August 11 meeting at Simply Savory, Carter also discussed the recent arrest of three "career criminals" who have been tied to at least five incidents and could be linked to as many as a dozen more.

Police said David Sligh, Sammie Green, and Gregory Campbell, all transients, have been connected with several burglaries on Devine Street.

Lancaster said four more arrests in the area, including that of one suspect directly tied to a Devine Street incident, have also been reported by police in meetings with the business owners.

Capt. Mike Hendrix, who is in charge of the South Precinct, said the night after the initial meeting, a suspect was charged with breaking into a building located on the retail corridor.

"We caught this individual that night, and believe that this person may also be tied to other incidents" in the Devine Street area, Hendrix said.

"We are also investigating a break- in at the Shandon Hair Salon and we are pretty sure we will be making an arrest in the near future," he said.

Arket said the merchants are encouraged about the move of the Columbia police south precinct in October from Millwood to Devine Street.

Hendrix said his staff is already in the process of moving, and may be able to set up operations slightly ahead of schedule.

"You're not going to eliminate crime 100 percent from any area, but the moves that they have made, and the fact that the precinct will be closer to us is having a real positive effect," Arket said.

The day spa owner has a personal stake in the safety of the Devine Street area, having been a victim of a Christmas eve burglary at his business.

"The person broke through the front door and stole some computer equipment," he said. "The police were able to arrest someone based on DNA evidence left at the scene."

Hendrix said he would continue to call on merchants to keep his staff aware of suspicious activity in the Devine Street area.

"The best crime prevention is open ears and open eyes," he said. "Making a phone call to your local police department when you feel like something isn't right is the best tool we've got for catching someone or preventing someone from doing a crime."