Neighborhood councils offer thank-you breakfast for local law enforcement

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — The Richland County Neighborhood Council and the Columbia Council of Neighborhoods served breakfast to local law enforcement as a way to say thank you.

Deputies from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and officers from the Columbia Police Department attended.

The Richland County Neighborhood Council’s Treasurer, Brenda McGriff, says the event is a way to thank local law enforcement and shine a light on the importance of building partnerships with them.

“When you get involved with them personally and hear some of the stories they have to deal with, it gives people in the community more empathy for what they do. And that’s the goal. To partner. Partner. And we can stop crime by partnering,” says McGriff.

McGriff says members of Richland County’s Community Action Team and Columbia PD’s Community Response Team should be considered friends to local neighborhoods.

Columbia Police Officer Michael Hendrix agrees, saying, “Especially in today’s times. We want to be a good face. We want to make those partnerships. It helps people come forward and talk to us. Stuff like that. Just you know, being a friend is the most important thing.”

RCSD’s Master Deputy Jason Cuzzupe says building relationships builds trust.

“If there is an issue within the community, you’re able to resolve those issues pretty quickly because you’ve already built up trust and built up partnership. And then having the opportunity to break bread with them just shows that unity and that’s what the Sheriff’s Department strives for throughout the years is just that unity within the community,” says Cuzzupe.