‘There’s a problem’: Sheriff shares safety tips amid recent Darlington County break-ins, stolen weapons

DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - One car break-in is simply too many for the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, especially when they told WMBF News suspects are stealing weapons.

WMBF News also sat down with James Hudson Jr, The Darlington County Sheriff, who shared new measures he’s working to implement to keep residents safe.

“We had a total of four, and that’s four too many”

What the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office said is a seasonal trend, is now growing day by day.

Hudson said, with school out, the department has seen four car break-ins already and wants this to be a reminder.

“Please secure your valuables in your vehicles or bring them inside of your residence, secure them, do not leave your cars or trucks unlocked because people pull the handles and if the door is unlocked they go through your car and get what you got.”

After sitting down with Hudson, he said throughout Hartsville and other areas of the county, stolen guns are now at the top of the list when it comes to missing valuables. Hudson added there is a bigger issue.

“There’s a problem in our country right now, and some of the things that are going on, it’s just not targeting black communities, it’s just not targeting white communities, or Hispanic communities or any other ethnicity, it’s targeting everybody,” said Hudson.

As the department works to prioritize safety, Hudson wants both gun owners and the public to be mindful of their surroundings and said it’s important to watch out for the people who live near you.

“Neighbor to neighbor, your crime watch is always good, I think that’s a foolproof measure that any community can have is crime watch, and that way the neighbors can look out for each other.”

While he hopes this trend dies down, he is not slowing down his efforts to keep his community members safe.

“I don’t know if we’ll ever stop it altogether, but we’re gonna continue to work hard to reduce it and to make people feel safe in their homes in their communities.”

Hudson mentioned the number one priority is safety for the residents in Darlington County.

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