Columbia police have vowed to channel their focus away from underage drinking and onto gang violence and unlawful weapons, namely in the Five Points area.
A revitalized task force, created in 2010 to enforce laws, fire codes, and zoning ordinances in Columbia’s bar district, has drawn up a plan that includes increased surveillance and signage, a multi-disciplinary public safety team, increased patrol efforts and regular meetings among police, the Five Points Association and representatives of nearby neighborhoods.
The shift in tone is encouraging and long overdue. In years past, we’ve seen the police ramp up their patrols and hint at redirecting their focus, but usually only as a reaction — after brawls in the streets, fired gunshots and muggings. And when police have increased their efforts, they’ve warned that they would still keep an eye on underage drinking, fake IDs and the other hallmarks of college nightlife.
That won’t change entirely, nor should it, but those concerns should be secondary to the more serious issues that Five Points has faced lately. Finally, police say they will be.
The announcement’s timing is important. Early Tuesday morning, a bar employee was stabbed, leading to an attempted murder charge, a sign that police still have much work to do to curb violent crime in Five Points. It also precedes what’s likely to be a key test for the police: tonight’s home opener against North Carolina.
When thousands of students and fans descend upon Five Points from Williams-Brice Stadium, the police will need to prove they’re committed to their new tactics. We hope they’ll hold on to their goal of quelling violent crime and gang activity, because Five Points’ problem is crime, not students.