COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, and US Attorney Sherri Lydon came together in the Greenview neighborhood of Columbia to announce a joint effort among law enforcement groups to reduce and prevent violent gun crime in the Midlands.
Lydon said that violent crime in South Carolina is twice the national average and it is especially high in the North Columbia area.
There is a big push on the federal side -- using federal gun statutes to strengthen sentencing for gun violence offenders.
Project Safe Neighborhoods involves community discussions and involvement and new options -- through education and/or economic opportunity -- to prevent violent crime.
Lydon, Holbrook and Lott urged people to become nosy neighbors -- make the call and say something if you see something in your neighborhood and then law enforcement can do something.
"It's the younger and younger people are getting involved," said Lott. "Kids 12, 13, 14 are roaming the neighborhoods."
The sheriff said that the majority of offenders using guns range from age 14 to 28. Lott said the people in the Greenview community -- while technically is in the city -- will see county patrols as well as city police.
After the news conference, the group of law enforcement officers did a walk through the Greenview neighborhood, meeting residents and getting to know the area on foot.