Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
There have been seven reports of shots fired within the city limits in the past month, and Barnwell Police Department (BPD) Chief Michael Butts has a plan to address it.
“With the permission of council, I’d like to try and authorize an overtime project between us, the county, and highway patrol, to come out and do a saturation in the city limits to try and cut down on a lot of this stuff that is going on,” said Chief Butts at the April 1 council meeting.
A saturation would potentially include patrol checks, road stops, and traffic stops by BPD officers, Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and S.C. Highway Patrol troopers.
BPD officers will be paid through the department's already existing overtime budget, and the project will not cost the city outside of predetermined budget amounts.
On March 5 around 5 p.m., BPD responded to a report of shots fired near Ramblewood Mobile Home Community on Dunbarton Blvd.
On March 9, officers reported to Apple Street around 9:16 p.m. and on March 13 to Hiott Street around 11:50 p.m.
BPD responded to Barnwell Arms around 2:27 a.m. on March 21 and to Marlboro Avenue near the Winton Inn on March 26 around 5:56 p.m.
Three days later on March 29 around 11:32 p.m., officers responded to Litchfield Street. On March 30 at 1:37 a.m., they responded to a report of shots fired near Peachtree Garden Road and Hagood Avenue, near Lemon Park.
Since his start of service to the city in late January, Chief Butts also began a traffic control project by staging both manned and unmanned patrol units around the city.
This project has caught the attention of residents. Mayor Ron Still expressed he has heard “good things throughout the community” about this effort to limit speeding.
In March, BPD issued 25 warnings, 49 tickets, and made 11 arrests with a total of 189 reports. Officers have also been checking properties throughout the city, both homes and businesses, totaling 330 for the month.
Chief Butts held seven interviews in the last week of March. He has made one hire thus far and is waiting to receive background checks for other candidates.
“Thank you for the job you and your department are doing,” said Mayor Still at the April 1 meeting.
