Crime in Five Points: Have Things Changed?

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — “I’m always concerned about the state of the neighborhood,” says Don McCallister of Loose Lucy’s. McCallister has been a part of Five Points for more than 20 years. “I don’t think things have changed terribly much,” says McCallister. When it comes to crime, McCallister says it isn’t new. “Five Points has always had a problem with petty crime,” says McCallister. Just a little more high profile, McCallister says. “Twenty years ago, Dail Dinwiddie disappeared after being in a bar down here. Last year, Carter Strange was beaten by a mob of teenagers who had no business being down here,” says McCallister. Even still he likes Five Points. “This is generally a nice little village we have here. It seems like a small town in Five Points everyday,” say McCallister. But the so-called small town is now being forced to deal with big crimes. Just this past weekend, two incidents of assault and one of gunfire were reported here. “It’s not a good feeling to wake up, first of all as Chief of Police and hear about violence in Five Points,” says Columbia Police Chief, Randy Scott. But efforst are being made to curb crime. “We realize that in order for anything to work, we must stand together for it to be safe,” says Chief Scott. Already, business owners have put up camearas and just last year a curfew for teens was put into place. But business owners like McCallister fear the efforts are being outsmarted. “Criminals aren’t fools, they may be immorral but they are not fools and they know they can come down here and take advantage of people in this neighborhood,” says McCallister. Chief Scott says starting this weekend a more aggressive police presence will be added in Five Points. This past weekend’s incidents remain under investigation.