Hundreds of guns seized, 'top offenders' arrested in Richland-Columbia joint effort

Almost 300 "illegal guns" have been taken off Richland County and Columbia streets.

The Richland County Sheriff's Department and Columbia Police Department say a combined 60-day initiative aimed at reducing gun violence and seizing weapons was a success.

“This is not something we’ve created to make people feel good," Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said, calling gun violence the most prominent problem in the Midlands. "This is something we want to work."

As he spoke, Lott stood beside several photos of people killed by gun violence.

"They're real people," Lott said. "There's real pain, and families are hurting. ... It's just not a number."

Since the initiative began on April 24, the Richland County Sheriff's Department has seized 202 guns. The Columbia Police Department took in 96 guns. Nearly all of the guns were seized during incidents involving drugs, shootings or other types of crimes, according to Lott. None of the guns were voluntarily turned over.

Several of the incidents involved "top offenders" within communities, Lott said. "Top offenders" are people who authorities were aware of because of their unlawful behavior, which often involved gang or drug activity. A focus of the gun violence reduction initiative is arresting those people and seizing their guns.

Seventeen "top offenders" have been arrested during the initiative. One person had been arrested three times since April, and two others were indicted on federal gun charges on top of their state charges.

“We’re getting the worst of the worse off the street," Lott said. "We’re making sure you’re not going to run around Columbia or Richland County making it the wild, Wild West.”

Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook spoke about the initiative's effectiveness. Just a few hours before Thursday's news conference, a gun used during an armed robbery near Bush River Road was confiscated because of community assistance and law officer collaboration, Holbrook said.

That network of law enforcement officers, including those working behind the scenes, have made the 60-day effort a success, Holbrook said.

Analysts working with law enforcement agencies have provided real-time information to investigators to "get the right people off the streets," Holbrook said. "It’s the way we should be doing business — collaboratively, analytically, and strategically."

Recovering shells to match back to guns used to commit crimes also has been part of the initiative. In a recent case that involved guns fired, CPD gathered up 15 military grade casings, according to Holbrook.

“That’s absurd, absolutely absurd," Holbrook said, emphasizing the extent of gun violence in Columbia.

Lott and Holbrook say the initiative has been successful, citing a reduction in gang-related shootings and murders.

Beyond enforcement of gun laws, the 60 days also have had an educational component. The sheriff's department and CPD have attempted to inform people about the importance of not leaving guns in vehicles or unconcealed within homes, two places where firearms are often stolen. Of the 202 guns seized by the sheriff's department, 39 were stolen.

The two-month effort also emphasized to people that stolen guns should be reported to police. Stolen guns frequently change hands and are used in multiple crimes, according to Lott.

“Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t report a gun stolen," Lott said. "When it’s stolen from a home, or a car, they feel embarrassed and don’t report it. … We need all guns stolen reported. Don’t feel embarrassed.”

The initiative to get guns off the street will continue beyond the 60 days, Lott said. While the nearly 300 guns seized and the gun- related arrests are a success, "there’s still a lot of guns out there," he said.

Looking over to the photos of people killed by guns, Lott said, "It's to stop this."

This story was originally published July 5, 2018 at 5:06 PM.