COLUMBIA, S.C. — Columbia city leaders announced Tuesday Operation Hope and Order, a new program designed to help further their efforts to help the city's homeless using a combination of city services and law enforcement.
It's a new program focused on this area of the community through beautification efforts and enhanced security measures.
Columbia mayor Daniel Rickenmann said the city recently looked at 911 call activity to the Elmwood community and found many calls for police and ambulances to that area. Over a two-year period, the Columbia Police Department said there have been 1,655 calls for service within this community.
Operation Hope and Order is designed to give additional attention to the community, which the mayor calls the city's main gateway corridor.
"[We're] emphasizing that corridor and working with those residents, those businesses, and our unsheltered population," he said.
A focus will be on curbing criminal activity there, including drug use and petty crimes. Rickenmann said they're also working with businesses in the area to make sure they're making their locations more secure and that there is adequate lighting. But he said there has to be buy-in from businesses and the community to make the system work.
"We can't do it all," he said.
Rickenmann says a long term goal would be to relocate Transitions and Oliver Gospel Mission to a new location that will allow people without homes to access their services at a one-stop campus.
Moses Felder lives in the Elmwood Community. He's been there for all his life, and has owned a barbershop there for 50 years.
“I’m very proud of it. As a young man who grew up in this community, and have a business in the community, my church right across the street," said Felder.
The city is installing new LED lights and assigning officers to these areas to make the community feel safer.
“More resources would be helpful in all aspects of this community. Economically, for safety, and to secure our community. I think all of it would help our community to grow," said Felder.
The city is also continuing to meet the needs of its unsheltered community like temporary housing and counseling through its Rapid Shelter program. Those small temporary units were set up last November.
“We’re gonna take each one of these actions with compassion. We believe ensuring a clean, safe city is the compassionate thing to do. No one is helped by living on the streets," said Rickenmann.