CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – To combat a rise in gang activity, the Horry County Police Department has expanded the role of its street crimes units.
About a dozen agencies arrested 22 suspects early Wednesday morning, in what investigators call a large drug-dealing enterprise based in the Longs area.
“We’re targeting groups that are directly destroying communities in this area,” said Sherri Lydon, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.
One of the three suspects still sought by the FBI after Thursday’s press conference is now in custody. The Horry County Sheriff’s Office says Katelyn Stetler of Little River is being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
One of the agencies that’s helped is the Horry County Police Department and it says its street crimes unit is crucial in cases like this.
“If it’s gang violence, it gives us the ability to saturate the area with more uniformed personnel, if that’s the solution for that particular issue at the time,” said Capt. John Harrelson with Horry County police.
Capt. Harrelson has worked with the street crimes unit since it was formed back around 2005.
He says the unit has expanded its role, from only a patrol unit to a part of the criminal investigations division.
“It’s assigned to the narcotics and vice unit now,” he said. “In that capacity now, they have the ability to not only be a uniform presence, but when we need to, we can also use them in an undercover capacity.”
That versatility is helpful in investigations like the one announced Thursday.
Capt. Harrelson says officers in the street crimes unit are trained to take on several different roles.
“Whether that be a roundup, or whether that be a search warrant or some other type of complex operation where you’re going to need to have a mix of uniform and investigative personnel, they’re the perfect unit for that,” he said.
The FBI is still searching for two suspects in the investigation. They are Christopher “Brisk” Giddens of Longs and Rondric Smith of Conway.
Anyone with information about them should call the FBI’s Columbia office at 803-551-4200.
