A MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY
Friday night, we had more than a dozen law enforcement units working throughout the Abbeville Homecoming events. Our goal was simple: take a proactive approach, maintain a visible presence, and make sure everyone had the opportunity to enjoy themselves and get home safely.
I personally had several great conversations with residents about how law enforcement and our community can work together to keep people safe while still allowing everyone to gather, celebrate, and have a good time.
Unfortunately, Saturday night was different.
Members of the crowd became increasingly disrespectful toward law enforcement—chanting profanities at officers and throwing objects at patrol vehicles. Then the situation escalated further. Fights broke out, and eventually gunshots began ringing out in the crowd.
Enough is enough.
The good, hardworking, law-abiding residents of the City of Abbeville do not deserve this. They should not have to worry about gunfire while sitting in their homes. Families should not have to wonder whether it is safe to attend a community event. Business owners should not have to deal with the consequences of violence and criminal activity occurring around their businesses.
And our community should never accept this behavior as normal.
The reality is that our budget will not allow us to put more than a dozen officers on the streets of Abbeville every night. But hear me clearly:
We will do what we need to do to make a statement.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office will continue taking a proactive approach to crime throughout Henry County. When circumstances require additional manpower, we will put resources where they are needed. We will work with our law enforcement partners, increase enforcement efforts, and take action against those individuals who choose to bring violence and illegal drugs into our communities.
Our stance on violence and illegal drugs is ZERO TOLERANCE.
If you want to gather with your friends, enjoy yourself, and have a good time—we want you to be able to do that safely.
But if you choose to bring guns, violence, illegal drugs, or criminal behavior into our communities, you should expect to see us.
This is bigger than one weekend and bigger than one event. This is about what kind of community we are willing to accept for our children, our families, and the people who call Henry County home.
To the overwhelming majority of our citizens who respect their neighbors, support a safe community, and simply want to live their lives in peace: we hear you, and we stand with you.
We are not going to surrender our streets to violence.
We are not going to allow illegal drugs to destroy our communities.
And we are not going to wait until someone gets hurt or killed before we take action.
We will be proactive. We will be visible. And when the law is broken, we will enforce it.
Violence and illegal drugs have no place in Henry County. Period.
-Sheriff Eric “EB” Blankenship
