Massive pool party one of many events Columbia police broke up last weekend
Hundreds of people attending a pool party at a Columbia apartment complex last weekend were ordered to leave for violating social distancing mandates.
But the “massive” gathering at The Apartments at Palmetto Compress was just one of several events broken up up Columbia authorities for violating state and city orders to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19.
The Columbia Police Department told The State there were four other parties over the weekend that its officers broke up because of similar violations.
Police assisted the Columbia Fire Department, which focuses on enforcing the city’s mask ordinance in commercial areas, disperse the crowd at the pool party at Palmetto Compress, 612 Devine St., spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said.
But police are the lead agency in almost all other venues when it comes to ensuring people are following the emergency face covering ordinance, as well as Gov. Henry McMaster’s executive order about social distancing.
“I was furious,” Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” of getting a call about the pool party from Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins. “Our rules are very clear. ... We can enforce the governor’s executive order on spacing and we also have a mask ordinance.”
Police responded to an incident at the Hub, in the 1400 block of Main Street. Like Palmetto Compress, the Hub is promoted primarily as an off-campus living destination for University of South Carolina students.
Also like Palmetto Compress, the Hub has a pool, located on the building’s rooftop.
When classes resumed at USC, Columbia officials sent a letter to 12 student housing complexes asking them to close their pools “to further reduce the risk for community spread of the coronavirus disease in settings that encourage large gatherings.”
Police did not say if the 35 people at the Hub who were warned for violating the mandates were located on the pool deck.
No citations were given, but warnings were issued when Columbia police broke up a gathering of about seven people at a rental property in the 2500 block of Blossom Street — a half mile from Five Points.
That was not the case when officers responded to a house in the 400 block of South Gregg Street, which is about a half mile from the intersection of Rosewood Drive and Assembly Street. As police shut down a party of about 15 people, a citation for simple possession of marijuana was issued along with warnings about coronavirus mandates.
Not wearing a mask is a civil infraction with a fine up to $25, but those not complying are typically given warnings after a first violation.
After having been previously warned, two citations were given after police responded to a home in the 300 block of Heyward Street. It was the second time since Aug. 25 that officers had to break up a party at the property near Olympia Mills and Granby Mills, just off of Whaley Street, and this time the residents were punished.
The USC Police Department was notified that students were involved in the violations, Timmons said. The Blossom, South Gregg, and Heyward properties are all in areas known as popular off-campus residences for USC students.
“What affects the university affects the entire city public health, economy, and the like,” Benjamin said.
The first day of fall semester classes at the University of South Carolina started on Aug. 20. As of Monday, 1,172 students had tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,017 of the cases remained active, according to USC.
Punishment won’t stop with renters; property owners also face serious consequences for every violation.
Each violation could result in 10 points being issued to a property owner, and an accumulation of 15 points or more in a 12-month span could result in a revocation of a rental permit, according to the City of Columbia. Additionally, a $100 fee is assessed for each point accumulated beyond five points.
If a property receives 15 points, the owner can ask for the penalty to be suspended if they have evicted the tenant.
With the Labor Day holiday weekend coming, Timmons said police are asking Columbia residents to put an emphasis on making good decisions for the health and safety of everyone.
This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 2:56 PM.
