Carolina Forest residents talk crime; police: Lock your doors

Kids stealing from unlocked vehicles caused the greater Carolina Forest community to have a “really bad summer,” according to Capt. Robert Carr of the Horry County Police Department’s North Precinct. The good news, he said, is that those crimes have dropped drastically this winter and could be eliminated if residents would simply lock their cars.

Carr was on hand Wednesday night to field questions from about 50 members of the Carolina Forest Civic Association, a 149-member group that represents the interests of the greater Carolina Forest area. That area lies between Myrtle Beach and Conway in unincorporated Horry County and includes a number of large housing developments and three schools.

Carr, himself a Carolina Forest resident, said at least 16 people, mostly students, had been arrested for the vehicle crimes with some pending, adding it is not a crime unique to Carolina Forest. His advice to homeowners: Lock your car doors.

“If you choose to leave your car unlocked, take your valuables inside but if you don’t remember anything else I say tonight, it is lock your cars,” he said, also stressing that while home break-ins have not been a problem in their area as much as in some parts of Myrtle Beach, he wanted the homeowners to be aware that most home invasions occur during the daytime with the nicer neighborhoods targeted.

The petty theft from vehicles was a minor concern for many who expressed greater apprehension about many subjects, including speeding, a lack of stop signs, 911 response times, and police department understaffing. Carr noted that “calls for service” to the police have increased drastically with the development of housing projects and people moving into the area.

Several residents sought advice on their right to use a gun during a home invasion if they felt their life was endangered. Carr said he sees about 40 people a day seeking gun permits. He cautioned homeowners to be very thoughtful before pulling the trigger on a suspected home invader, citing an incident where a man emptied a gun at his open front door only to realize the “invaders” were family members come to surprise them. Fortunately, he said, the man was a bad shot.

Also of concern to the community is the scheduled March 1 reopening of the former Carolina Southern railroad — now owned by RJ Corman — and how it would affect the already overcrowded Carolina Forest Boulevard.

Carole vanSickler, association president, said the community used to have an eight- to nine-minute wait on either side of the rail when the railroad was operating. She said while reopening the railroad is important for economic development, the community has concerns. She also mentioned a lack of stop signs within the Carolina Forest area and said the Waterford community had offered to purchase signs but the request was denied by Horry County Engineering.

A resident of the Fairways at River Oaks, who did not wish to be identified, asked how to handle suspicions of drug dealing in the area. Carr gave out his phone number and said he would turn over any information to the narcotics unit who could then perform surveillance.

Charles Calvert of the Avalon community asked Carr’s opinion about police officers wearing body cameras and asked about a pending upgrade in the county’s radio system. Carr said every officer in the Horry County Police Department currently has a body camera and he has seen a drastic drop in complaints against officers.

“People see the body cameras right here (pointing to his chest) and they know they are being recorded,” he said. As for the radio system, Carr called it antiquated and a safety hazard that requires an upgrade.

Carr noted that thanks to a positive move by HCPD Chief Saundra Rhodes, every precinct in the county now has two detectives assigned to work the more violent crimes. To further address Carolina Forest concerns, police officers who “work the road” will be available Feb. 25 at a 6:30 meeting to also be held at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center.

This story was originally published February 18, 2016 at 2:00 AM with the headline "Carolina Forest residents talk crime; police: Lock your doors."