Sgt. Matt Storen with the 2013 Chevrolet Express van recently purchased for the Isle of Palms Police Department. The vehicle will be used to transport prisoners from the island to the Charleston County Detention Center in North Charleston.
The Isle of Palms Police Department and officers from several other law enforcement agencies were prepared for another large gathering on the IOP beach May 6, but criminal activities apparently were limited to an arrest in the municipal parking lot.
According to IOP Police spokesperson Sgt. Matt Storen, an event advertised in a flyer and on social media didn’t materialize. He said around 30 officers were on hand just in case, from the Department of Natural Resources; Probation, Parole and Pardon Services; and the Mount Pleasant, North Charleston and IOP Police Departments. The event, “Suns Out, Buns Out,” had been planned from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Just days before, at a special meeting May 2, the IOP City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on second and final reading that will help the Police Department manage safety and security issues. On April 7, five people were injured by gunfire during a gathering of a large number of high school students on the IOP beach.
The ordinance, passed on first reading April 25, then approved again with changes on May 2, requires groups of more than 50 people to obtain a permit to gather on public property, including the beach and beach access paths. The Police Department will not be able to deny a permit based on political, social or religious grounds, and applications for permits must be submitted at least 14 days before an event. If the permit is denied, the group may file an appeal with the city administrator.
People who gather in public places on IOP without a permit can be charged with a misdemeanor and face up to 30 days in jail and a fine, including court costs, of up to $1,087. Police Chief Kevin Cornett said members of groups without a permit that refused to disperse could be arrested, but he added that “we’re about compliance with the law. We’re not trying to keep anyone from coming to the beach.”
The ordinance does not apply to city-sponsored events approved by the Council and IOP Recreation Department programs.
Though “Suns Out, Buns Out” apparently didn’t happen, there was an arrest in the municipal parking lot on Front Beach at approximately 3:30 p.m. Phillip Jason Britt, 36, and Lashawn Duberry, 34, were charged with open container of alcohol and simple possession of marijuana. Britt also was charged with unlawful carry of a pistol and was arrested and transported to the Charleston County Detention Centger. A black Ruger pistol and 5.4 grams of marijuana were confiscated.
At its April 25 meeting, the Council voted unanimously to allow Cornett to spend up to $150,000 on security-related equipment, including a prisoner transport vehicle. The 2013 Chevrolet Express van, which has been driven only about 30,000 miles by a federal law enforcement agency, according to Storen, was purchased fully-equipped as surplus for $38,000. The van will permit several prisoners to be transported to the Charleston County Detention Center in North Charleston at one time, rather than in separate vehicles.
Other items on a list of recommendations from the Council’s Public Safety Committee include adding six security cameras on beach access paths; purchasing a drone and helipad; and establishing a canine unit in the Police Department.
