Underage ID checks should not be main focus of law enforcement
The increased violence in Columbia lately has everyone feeling uneasy. Several recent incidents involving guns near the Horseshoe have raised the question of what police are doing to curb violence. This weekend, Five Points was the site of a large brawl with eight to 10 shots fired, causing people to further doubt the “increased” police presence.
All recent incidents have gone unsolved.
However, multiple suspects were caught for the non-violent crime of drinking underage. The Columbia Police Department employs tactics like stopping kids for jaywalking and then administering sobriety tests and ID checks, or even checking people’s IDs after alcohol purchases.
It’s no secret that Columbia has a culture of drinking. Famously Hot advertisements boast of great food and drinking, and the Vista and Five points always deliver. The next event to bring in the most tourists will be St. Patrick’s Day in Five Points. Tens of thousands of people will fill the downtown area to drink and enjoy the day. But this reputation can easily be tarnished if people don’t want to visit for fear of robbery, injury or death.
Maybe the police department is compensating for the criminals they’re not catching in the gunpoint thefts and other violent crimes by catching kids buying beer with a fake ID. But what is that really doing to make Columbia safer? I fully advocate for police interference when someone needs help or when they’ve had too much to drink and are in need of medical assistance. But when students are constantly being issued expensive tickets for causing no real disturbance or harm, it seems like the Columbia Police Department is just trying to fill their quotas and coffers.
Recently, more police cars patrol Columbia, but there’s no actual presence on the Horseshoe outside of the occasional bike cop. I suggest that some of the police cars patrolling the off-campus apartment complexes searching for loud music and open containers should be relocated to the Horseshoe. That way suspects can be caught, and students would be able to feel safer while walking home at night.
All of this responsibility doesn’t fall on the Columbia Police Department, though. USC’s alert system is necessary to the safety of campus as well and often falls short. The system has been known to report crimes almost a day late and with nondescript information like “tall male, dark clothes, armed.” The student’s safety should demand more innovative and advanced forms of communication.