CHESTER, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – It’s peaceful right now in the Eureka Mills neighborhood, but one woman says it’s not always like that.
She’s used to another normal.
“Hearing gunshots, people running through my backyard,” she said.
She stays in a constant state of terror.
“One day, I was coming outside about 10 o’clock in the morning, and my son is in the bedroom asleep, and we hear gunshots on the next road over. First thing in my mind is my child, and I run in the house and go check him,” she said.
She’s lived in this neighborhood for over ten years, and the crime wasn’t always like this.
“It was calm, hardly none, but now I don’t want to say every night, but it’s like once or twice a week that we hear gunshots, and we’ll just say, ‘its somebody shooting a gun,’ and then we’ll just turn our heads cause we’re used to it.”
But authorities don’t want folks to get used to it.
Law enforcement released a joint statement with Chester Mayor Wanda Stringfellow and the Solicitor’s office about Chester’s rise in crime.
The report says:
“Gun violence in the City of Chester and the areas surrounding JA Cochran Bypass has increased, and the impact on our citizens is undeniable. We want the citizens of Chester to know that we have committed and continue to commit all available resources to combat this problem…”
Law enforcement is aggressively patrolling the area of JA Cochran Bypass, hoping to deter crime and respond to calls quickly.
This resident says she read the online statement and understood their quick response firsthand.
“The last time I called, they were here within five or 10 minutes,” she said. “They’ve gotten faster.”
As they continue to address the issue – local law enforcement is increasing personnel numbers in and around JA Cochran Bypass neighborhood areas.
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They also work with state and federal partners to increase workforce and investigative efficiency.
“Chester is my hometown; it’s always going to be,” the resident said. “I’ve raised my kids here; my grandkids are here. They just need to take care of the crime.”