S.C. Chief: Homelessness Is Not a Crime

The Columbia (S.C.) Police chief is pushing back on a City Council plan to divert homeless people from the city center, telling The State that "homelessness is not a crime."

August 28, 2013

The Columbia (S.C.) Police chief is pushing back on a City Council plan to divert homeless people from the city center, telling The State that "homelessness is not a crime."

Interim Chief Ruben Santiago has told city officials that officers can't transport homeless adults to the riverfront shelter nor can police tell them they would be charged with a nuisance offense if they refuse.

Councilman Cameron Runyan, who proposed assigning officers to enforce public nuisance offenses, criticized the chief Monday. "Santiago is the one who said in the (Aug. 5 City Hall) meeting that they could transport people," he said.

Chief Santiago said his officers "have to have the legal right" to question of take anyone into custody.

Editorial

Maximizing Fleet Efficiency and Accountability with Traka Key Management Solutions

Maximizing Fleet Efficiency and Accountability with Traka Key Management Solutions

Banner Final Gettyimages 1310108875 170667a

Staying Ahead of the Curve: Navigating Emerging Drugs for Law Enforcement

Banner Final Gettyimages 470407026 170667a

How to Support More Effective De-Escalation and Use-of-Force Training

Web Graphic Thumbnail Rtcc Checklist 375x480

Build Your Real-Time Crime Center

Investigators Believe New York Man Killed Officers Over Grudge

Christopher R. Murphy, 33, shot and killed Onondaga County Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock and Syracuse police Officer Michael Jensen Sunday night in Salina outside of the residence where Murphy lived with his parents.

New York Officer Wounded in “Ambush” Attack, Suspect Killed

When he got out of his patrol vehicle and started to approach the suspect’s vehicle, the officer came under fire.

Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins and Mayor Kathy Sheehan brief the press about a shooting that wounded an Albany officer on April 17, 2024.

Indiana Deputy Killed by Downed Power Lines Responding to Crash

According to Hendricks County Sheriff Jack Sadler, Deputy Fred Fislar was responding to a single-vehicle accident around 11:50 p.m. where a passenger car hit a utility pole, leaving low-hanging electrical wires near the crash site.

Judge Awards Nearly $23 Million to Undercover St. Louis Officer Beaten by Colleagues During 2017 Protest

Luther Hall sued three of his former colleagues — Randy Hays, Dustin Boone and Christopher Myers — in 2022 over their actions five years earlier during public protests.

Nebraska Officer Killed During Traffic Stop Crash

Officer Ross Bartlett’s vehicle was stopped and performing a traffic stop involving a Nissan sedan around 7:37 p.m. when a Ford pickup truck hit the rear of his patrol unit pushing it into the sedan.

Ceresco, Nebraska, Police Officer Ross Bartlett was killed Friday night when his vehicle was hit during a traffic stop.

2 New York Officers Shot and Killed Sunday in Gun Battle

Sheriff Toby Shelly said Lt. Michael Hoosock was seeking cover in an adjacent yard when he was ambushed and killed. The suspect reportedly fired on him with an AR-15 rifle from an open deck at the rear of his residence.

Minnesota Deputy Shot, Suspect Dead in Warrant Service Shooting

In a press conference Wednesday evening, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said the injuries of the wounded deputy were non-life-threatening but "very serious."

Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison for Stabbing Florida Deputy

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson said his deputy was trying to help the woman when she attacked him.

FBI Warns About Increased Risk of Foreign Terrorists Targeting U.S.

"Foreign terrorists, including ISIS, al-Qaida and their adherents, have renewed calls for attacks against Jewish communities here in the United States and across the West in statements and propaganda," FBI Director Christopher Wray said.

Small Explosive Device Exposes Florida Deputy to White Powder During Traffic Stop

Deputies called in the St. Johns County Fire Rescue hazardous materials team, the state fire marshal's office, and the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office bomb squad to determine the nature of the substance and check the vehicle for additional devices

Guest Editorial: The Border Mess is Endangering Police Nationwide

More than 140,000 migrants have gotten away from the Border Patrol in less than 12 months. Some of them are very dangerous people.

Virginia Investigator Honored as National Deputy of the Year

During a traffic stop in Hampton on Jan. 11, 2023, Deputy Chambers, who’s also an investigator on the U.S. Marshals Task Force, was trying to arrest Lamont Lewis for allegedly killing his wife on Christmas Day.

U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis (left) presents Chesapeake (Virginia) Sheriff’s investigator Scott Chambers with the agency's Purple Heart medal. Chambers was serving with a Marshals Service task force when he was shot multiple times by a murder suspect.

Page 2 of 2354