OPINION: Community needs to embrace new police substations

Law-abiding citizens shouldn’t feel uncomfortable in the company of police officers. Criminals should.

That’s part of the premise behind the Aug. 3 opening of a new Florence Police Department substation at Dargan and Evans streets.

There hasn’t been much feedback yet on the new substation, but business owners and their customers seem to have welcomed the police presence. It gives them a sense of security, even if the effects of it aren’t yet tangible.

The substation is within easy walking distance of the police department headquarters, which is housed — and somewhat hidden away — with many other city and county offices within the Florence City-County Complex. The substation, and its officers, are meant to be more easily accessible to people passing by in downtown Florence who need help from the police or want to learn more about what they can do to be vigilant against crime.

It’s also within walking distance of the scene where 26-year-old Anthony D. Robinson was shot early Friday morning while trying to get into a vehicle on North Dargan Street. Bystanders tried to give Robinson CPR in the nearby Trinity Baptist Church parking lot, but he died within an hour of the shooting.

“I know a lot of people have a concern about downtown, and there is a perception of downtown as a very violent and dangerous place, Florence Police Chief Anson Shells said in a June interview, “but the fact that most of the crime that happens in the downtown area happens to be property crimes, particularly arsonists.”

Friday’s fatal shooting proves a substation will not prevent crime in downtown Florence. It’s a step in the right direction, however. The existence of a police substation alone isn’t going to make people feel safer. Community involvement in and support of the substation are needed.

The Florence police satellite offices at Magnolia Trace Apartments could serve as a model. They’re staffed by members of the department’s Community Action Team (CAT), which was formed with funds the agency received from the Community Oriented Policing Services grant almost a year ago. After obtaining the grant, the department formed a partnership with the Florence Housing Authority that allowed officers to use vacant apartment units as offices.

The point is, police substations on every corner in Florence won’t make an impact without the community’s involvement.

“Neither the police or the community can successfully fight crime alone,” Shells said. “In order to be successful, we need each other.”

The Florence Police Department’s dedicated officers and support staff continue to reach out to the community they serve. It’s time for the community to step forward, now, and take an active role in its own safety.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial Board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).