Columbia mayor proposes $800,000 Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Post & Courier
COLUMBIA — A new city office could consolidate efforts to address soaring gun violence.
Mayor Daniel Rickenmann proposed the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which would use $802,800 in federal funds, at a City Council work session Aug. 30, the latest in the city’s work to stop shootings.
The number of shootings in Columbia has risen in the past year, according to data from the police department. There were 94 shootings in 2021. This year, the department expects to respond to more than 120. So far this year, 75 people in Columbia have been shot, nine of them fatally.
Gun violence has been on the rise statewide in recent years. In 2020, 1,131 people in South Carolina died from being shot, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s the highest number since at least 2014, which is as far back as the CDC data goes.
The office would coordinate with law enforcement and existing community groups to avoid duplicating services and make efforts more effective, Rickenmann said.
“We have a lot of the bits and pieces, but we don’t have an organizing entity that needs to address (gun violence) and be the collaborator to bring everybody together,” he said.
The work would involve hiring a director and staff to catalogue community groups and make the most effective use of the city’s resources, Rickenmann said.
While council members supported the idea, they raised concerns about the office’s cost and the specific tasks the staff would have.
Councilwoman Tina Herbert said she was worried Rickenmann’s proposals for the office’s goals — addressing mental health, cleaning up neighborhoods and working with judges to keep offenders off the streets — would be too broad to implement.
“I do think that, as opposed to maybe being the leader on this issue, I would feel more comfortable with us being a resource for the issue,” Herbert said. “If we put ourselves as the leader, then people are going to expect us to solve the problem, and I don’t know if we have the specific capacity to do that.”
Herbert and Councilman Howard Duvall suggested taking a closer look at groups already doing this work in the community and reconsidering how many people the office would really need before committing more than $800,000.
Rickenmann said the amount was a maximum based on similar programs across the country. The funds come from the American Rescue Plan Act, which places limitations on how they can be used as well as a time limit.
Having a dedicated office would open the city up to more grant opportunities from the federal government and local groups, Rickenmann said. It could also open the door for more corporate dollars to come into the city.
“It’s going to take some effort, and it’s going to take some money to get us going and to really make a difference,” Rickenmann said. “We have to be invested along with our community partners and others because this is a community issue.”
The mayor called it a legal, community-driven way to help address the root causes of gun violence.
In March, the Columbia City Council voted to repeal a set of 2019 gun restrictions after Attorney General Alan Wilson filed a lawsuit saying the ordinances contradicted state law and lawmakers threatened to pull city funding.
“We’re limited in what our ability is to do by law, but we also have unlimited ability to work on prevention,” Rickenmann said.
Some local groups that work to address gun violence said they supported the proposal.
Serve & Connect, a Columbia nonprofit that aims to reduce violence by connecting police and community members, said in a statement the initiative could help bolster the work it’s already doing.
“We are optimistic to hear of the Mayor’s proposal to establish an Office of Gun Violence Prevention,” it said. “Addressing gun violence requires a comprehensive strategy that engages many partners. No one can do this work alone.”
The Revs. Jackie Utley and Eric Fink with faith-based group MORE Justice said they were cautiously optimistic based on the mayor’s proposal.
“We’re excited that at least something positive may be happening,” Fink said.
Gun violence has been a priority for the City Council for months.
Local officials called for a special state court to prosecute gun crimes in January to help address a backlog of cases left over from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mass shooting at the Columbiana Mall over Easter weekend renewed the push for gun safety measures from local and state politicians.
In June, Councilwoman Aditi Bussells announced the “Lock It Up” campaign, in which the city distributed free gun safe locks to promote gun safety.
Bussells also proposed an ordinance that would require people to report their lost and stolen firearms to police. It received initial support from a city committee, and Bussells expects it to come before the full council on Sept. 6.
