‘A groundbreaking step.’ Richland SC gang ambassadors to meet with police to prevent shootings
.jpg "Richland County gang leaders, a church, a community group and law enforcement leaders are coming together to help prevent gun violence, according to those involved.")
Richland County gang ambassadors, a church, a community group and law enforcement leaders are coming together to help prevent gun violence, according to those involved.
”We have a voice now,” the coalition of gang ambassadors, some of whom are former gang members, said in a statement. “It’s going to take the streets to change the streets. In order to build a village, you must rebuild the community.”
Ambassadors of Bloods, Crips, Folk Nation, Gangster Disciples and Piru are part of the coalition, they said.
“Gang (ambassadors) are putting their guns down and encouraging others to do the same,” the coalition said.
The gang ambassadors are forming a new organization called Getting A New Generation Started in Peace, or G.A.N.G.S in Peace, in order to promote their anti-violence campaign.
The gangs will have a “truce” to stop shootings, which typically rise during the summer, according to the news release.
The gang ambassadors are set to have a public meeting with 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and Columbia Police Department Chief Skip Holbrook this Saturday.
Gipson and Lott confirmed that law enforcement leaders will be at a news conference with the gang ambassadors.
They’re calling for “peace among themselves,” Lott said. “They don’t want people to die.”
“This is a groundbreaking step,” Lott said. “It’s something that’s never been done in Columbia or Richland County before.”
Word of God Church off Broad River Road with Bishop Eric Davis is helping broker the truce between gangs and the gang ambassadors’ meeting with law enforcement, according to the statement. Craig Khanwell, co-founder of Vision Walkers, a community group that works for the betterment of Black communities, is also part of the effort.
“The real change agents are these ambassadors,” Davis said. Unless the gangs are involved, “we’re going to be chasing our tails” when it comes to preventing shootings.
“We can’t do this without them,” Davis said.
Davis emphasized that the gangs aren’t responsible for all shootings or violent crime in Richland County, but said that the gang ambassadors recognize that they can play a major part in reducing shootings.
Richland County and Columbia have had a rise in gun violence over the last two years, with violent episodes sparking in public places and pushing shootings to the forefront of the discussions about crime in the area.
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department has had 17 murder cases from shootings this year. The Columbia Police Department has had four shooting murder cases. In the last 30 days, Richland County and Columbia have had at least six shootings and five students charged with bringing guns to schools.
The Richland 1 school district, which covers Columbia, has lost five students to shootings and other violence this school year.
This year, a shooting at Columbiana Centre mall that injured 15 people and an apartment complex shooting near the Vista that was described as a “running gun battle” have been seen as examples of the rising in gun violence.
Lott and Holbrook have called on community involvement to help stop the shootings over the last year. Both have said law enforcement has a part in reducing the violence but can’t do it alone.
With summer approaching and kids getting out of school, crime and shootings typically increase.
The coalition of gang ambassadors said it wants to stop a “hot, bloody summer.”
The gang ambassadors said a podcast is in the works to document their efforts in hopes of encouraging other gang leaders in cities across America “to take action to end violence.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 11:41 AM.
CORRECTION: This story initially reported that gang leaders would attend Saturday’s meeting. Several sources told The State that gang leaders would attend. Participants on Saturday described themselves as former gang members.