Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff candidates respond to youth violence

Hannah Litteer
·2 min read
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Recent shootings involving young people in Richmond County have the Sheriff’s Office and those running to be the next Sheriff speaking out.

In the past several months, there have been multiple cases of people under the age of 20 being killed, and accused of shooting and killing in Richmond County.

In the past two weeks alone, a 14-year-old was shot and killed, and a 14-year-old, 15-year-old, and 19-year-old have been charged with murder.

“Lot of these kids don’t realize they’re going to ruin their lives from one incident, just because no one taught them the right way,” said Richmond County Sheriff Candidate Bo Johnson.

The Sheriff’s Office sent us a statement saying, “It is a continuous conversation within our agency. We are always looking for ways to deter gun violence and violent deaths, not only with our youth, but with the adult community also. There is nothing so tragic as to see a life taken in a violent act.”

But, candidates running for Richmond County Sheriff think there is more to be done.

They think law enforcement and other county agencies need to interact, and listen more to high-risk youth.

“We as law enforcement have to get back to community policing,” said Richmond County Sheriff Candidate Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley. “We have to get back in the neighborhoods, you have to meet the youth where they are. And if we’re not in neighborhoods, we’re not making that connection.”

While there are already a few law enforcement programs targeted toward youth in Augusta, they believe there should be more partnerships with a specific target in mind.

“We’re going to have to form a crime reduction partnership,” Johnson said. “There are some cities that are doing that now, and it seems to be pretty successful. They’ve had some cities that have up to seventy-five percent reduction in youth violence. This is something I think would be really effective here.”

“Give them a sense of how to solve conflict without shooting and killing each other. Letting them know their lives are more valuable than just going out there and committing senseless acts of violence,” Brantley said.

Incumbent Sheriff Richard Roundtree declined an interview, but the Sheriff’s Office did send a statement. We also reached out to independent candidate Richard Dixon and didn’t hear back. The General Primary and Nonpartisan Election is on May 21st and early voting ends on May 17th.

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