Watch: 14 Arrests in NE Richland Crimes

Richland Co., S.C. (WOLO)— On March 10th Sheriff Leon Lott’s opponent in the upcoming election, James Flowers, released a statement highlight the increased crime in Northeast Richland County.

On Monday, Sheriff Lott released a statement saying the department has made fourteen arrests stemming from eight incidents in the Northeast part of the county.

According to Lt. Curtis Wilson with RCSD, “If a crime is committed, we’re going to act, we’re going to get involved.”

Wilson tells ABC Columbia, a significant portion of the 14 arrests are related and stem from a new trend in drug robberies among the youth.

He says, “There was a party on December 26th from this party six of these incidents were all related. This is culminating from our investigators constantly staying on the case to arrest all those that were involved in those incidents.”

He adds that while the crimes are happening in a common corner of the county, many of the suspects aren’t from other locations.

“You know a majority of the arrests that we made are of people who have come from outside the Northeast area into Richland to commit crimes.”

Additionally Wilson says that the recent arrests highlight the importance of vigilance and community tips.

He says, “When we get information that there’s been a crime committed as long as we can find out exactly, a description, a name a location that they probably fled to anything like that helps.”