CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Horry County public safety officials are discussing ways to help Myrtle Beach after five shootings in three days in the city.
Horry County Council Chairman, Mark Lazarus, said he met with Horry County Police Chief Joseph Hill, Horry County Sheriff Phillip Thompson and Assistant County Administrator of Public Safety Joe Huffman.
“If we could lend some personnel or if some of our personnel would like to work some overtime hours, I think we can work that out,” said Lazarus. He told council he hopes officers can assist Myrtle Beach Police on peak weekends.
“We do have our own issues and we’ve got to make sure we don’t jeopardize our policing in the unincorporated parts of the county,” Lazarus explained. “Anything that happens within the city limits, whether it’s Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and other communities, it affects the unincorporated areas of the county too.”
Lazarus said the county’s public safety officials will form a similar task force to the one created after the 2014 Bike Week shootings. They will meet with city public safety officials to lay out official plans.
Horry County’s discussions come after hundreds of people attended a special-called meeting in Myrtle Beach on Tuesday afternoon. The public came to voice concerns about five shootings in Myrtle Beach over the past three days. Myrtle Beach residents and leaders proposed different ideas on how to combat the violence.
