‘Ready as can be.’ Midlands police departments say they’re prepared for open carry
The largest police agencies in Richland and Lexington counties are trained up and ready for people to start openly carrying guns, they said.
But that doesn’t mean all of the agencies like the new open carry law, which takes effect Sunday.
“This law will make our already difficult job harder,” Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook said.
In 2017, Holbrook came out against open carry, writing in a guest column for The State that he firmly believes “an open-carry law will significantly complicate police interactions with citizens, resulting in many unintended consequences.”
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia Police Department and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department have all gone through training on how to deal with open carry, the agencies said.
The Open Carry with Training Act, passed in May, made it legal for South Carolinians with concealed weapons permits to carry guns in plain sight.
“The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is as ready as can be,” Sheriff Leon Lott said. Citizens being able to openly carry guns rather than officers exclusively “is a big change.”
Richland County deputies have distributed fliers to residents with basic information about the law, including that business owners can ban any weapons inside their businesses, even those carried with a concealed weapons permit. Owners just have to post a sign on the business saying weapons are not allowed.
The law does restrict what kind of guns can be carried. The gun must be less than 12 inches long. That rules out most “long guns” or assault rifle styled guns, such as the AR-15.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon is a little more relaxed about the new law.
“You will likely see someone walking down the street or somewhere else in your community with a gun in a hip holster,” Koon said.
Under normal circumstances, his deputies won’t stop a person openly carrying a gun and ask to see a weapons permit. But if deputies suspect a person is involved with criminal activity, they will ask to see a permit.
“Working together and having respectful conversations will ensure a smooth transition for all of us,” Koon said.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 1:34 PM.