The robbery of three students this past Tuesday in Five Points was a terrible event, as are all the robberies, shootings and sexual assaults that have recently taken place around Five Points and USC’s campus. With the number of incidents we’ve seen this year, one would think that our law enforcement and safety infrastructure would start becoming less reactive and more proactive, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The frequency of crime occurring around Columbia is evidence that our city is two steps behind. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that bad things happen in poorly lit places with no surveillance, but Five Points is still teeming with dark alleys and crime. It’s not as if any of this is news to anyone — Five Points has played host to numerous horrible crimes in recent years, and while progress is being made, many areas seem to still slip through the cracks.
The city of Columbia needs to stop dragging its feet and step up to what seems to us a simple solution: Install more lights and cameras. And if cameras are too expensive, at least install the lights and increase security. This might take cooperation from local businesses as well, but safety is always a community effort. The Columbia police claim that their presence has played a significant role in deterring crime, and while the increased presence is certainly helpful, it’s not enough.
If Columbia truly wants to deter crime, we must stay ahead of the game. We can’t afford to wait any longer.