COLUMBIA, S.C. — One way, or no way? The idea presented to Richland County Council is to turn Longcreek Drive into a cul-de-sac.
Javar Juarez, who lives in the Board River Road area, says with only one way in and one way out, it will reduce crime.
“We have immediate concerns that need to be addressed," Juarez said. "We need to make Longcreek Drive a one-way street.”
Also part of the Broad River Business Alliance, Juarez proposes that a bricked cul-de-sac be created at Riverwind Drive, next to the Elsa Mart. Doing so will eliminate a way out from Cambout Street.
“They use it as a loop to get back out to Broad River, eluding law enforcement and making dangerous conditions for our residents.”
According to the most recent stats from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, within three miles of the intersection of Broad River Road and I-20, there were three murders in 2018, two in 2019 and 2020, seven last year and one so far this year. The numbers of attempted murders and shootings where someone was hit jumped from 14 in 2018 to 22 last year for that same area.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says police presence and surveillance have increased in the area, while acknowledging the increase in criminal activity in the area.
“Longcreek Drive has been a challenge for us,” Lott said. “We have a lot of patrols in that area, some that they see, some that they don’t see.”
Lott says fixing the road, however, is not the answer.
"The answer is the people with guns," Lott said. "You could close the road down, as long as you have people with guns there, they’ll continue to do the shooting.”
“To turn that into a one-way, it's going to be difficult for the people that live there to come to their residence and leave,” Lott added.
News 19 reached out to Richland County Council about the proposed road change. Council Member Paul Livingston said he asked his team to meet with the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to discuss whether this is a possibility and if turning Longcreek Drive into a cul-de-sac would work.
SCDOT told News 19 that there have been no traffic studies done on this road.
As for Juarez, he says the community and law enforcement need to work together to find a solution and everyone needs to be held accountable.