The City of Dillon held a crime forum on February 18 at the City of Dillon Wellness Center. The story appears in the Thursday, February 25th issue of The Dillon Herald. Here is the video by Betsy Finklea/The Dillon Herald:

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By Betsy Finklea
The City of Dillon Police Department held a public crime forum at the City Wellness Center Thursday evening.
Captain David Lane led the meeting, which had a small group of citizens in attendance. The officers were introduced. Officers in attendance included Ray McPhatter, Ryan Berry, Jason Turner, Mark Vereen, Monroe Herring, Sherida McLeod, James Hayes, Allen Turner, Matt Townsend, and Melvin Lee. Kim Carter, who works in the office, was also introduced. City Manager Glen Wagner, Councilman John Braddy, Councilman Johnny Eller, Lake View Police Chief Wayne Campbell, and Sheriff Major Hulon also attended.
After the introductions, Captain Lane gave brief remarks. Lane said the thing they have seen in the city vehicle break-ins is they have not been forced entry – almost all of the victims left their vehicles unlocked. He said in the past three or four years, he cannot remember a vehicle being broken into by busting out the window.
Lane said only four officers are on patrol in the city at night.
Lane suggested if one has a storage building one should secure it with padlocks. He said there have been a couple of forced entries on those break-ins.
Lane said if one sees something suspicious one should report it. He said people are worried about telling on someone who is not doing something wrong; but if they see something suspicious, they should call the police and let them check it out.
Lane said in the first rash of break-ins, four individuals were arrested who are now out on bond. One individual was not caught.
Two more people were arrested on another set of break-ins.
Lane said they had taken extra measures to try to deter these crimes and had officers working numerous nights trying to catch the suspects.
Detective Jason Turner spoke about what officers need to do to process the scene and to be able to take it to court.
Turner said if one opens the door and realizes their car has been broken into one should leave the car door open, back away from the car, and call the police. He said it is important to leave the scene as intact as possible. He said he know people are in a rush to get to work or school, but it is important to let the police process the vehicle at the time of discovery even though it may be inconvenient. He said to stay out of the glove box and center console.
Turner said they are limited on the scope of what they can do without damaging your vehicle. The more intact the scene is, the better evidence they can collect.
Turner said if you realize that your house is broken into, back out and call 9-1-1. He said there is always the possibility that someone may still be in the house.
There were some citizen questions and comments. One citizen asked about reporting drug activity. Lane said many people do not want to be involved, but reporting this type of information can be very confidential. Lane said 90 percent of the crime revolves around drugs in some shape or form. Captain Mark Vereen said that he can be contacted directly with drug information at 843-495-0761.
Another citizen asked what officers need the community to do. Lane said they need the community to interact with the police and to come forward. He said a major problem is people do not want to talk. He said they have had several shootings where the victim knows who shot them, but will not tell police who shot them.
One citizen said she sometimes did not when to call. She was told if she calls 9-1-1 they will have to dispatch an officer.
There was discussion about school-age children seen during the day who are not in school. Lane said he did not necessarily agree with the way that it is done, but many of these children go to alternative school at night not during the day. He said the police department is not in charge of that.
Officer Mark Vereen then spoke about drug activity. Vereen said that no one should hesitate to call him with information about drug activity. He emphasized that he can be called directly.
Another citizen asked who dictated when a case goes to trial. Lane said it was up to the solicitor’s office. There was discussion from the audience about whether some cases are swept under the rug and about the treatment of repeat offenders. Lane said they did not make these decisions, and he tells his officers that if they have done their job that is all they can do. He noted that some cases are easier to prosecute than others.
Officer Ryan Berry was the next to speak. He said people need to call. His number is 843-774-0051, ext. 1011. He said if someone is working late and needs an officer to watch them get safely to their car, they should call. He also noted it sometimes takes a while to get evidence back from SLED so sometimes one may not hear immediately back from their call.
City Manager Glen Wagner also added some comments. He said people should not leave their cars unlocked. He suggested they put up outdoor lighting. He said the more light one has will help. He said there are many houses in neighborhoods with no lights. He said these are just a few things that are food for thought.
If you have an anonymous, non-pressing tip you would like to leave for the police department, please call the tip line at 843-774-0051 ext. 1017.