Attorney General calls for your help
By Mike Maddock Mike@TheColumbiaStar.com

Attorney General Henry McMaster

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster says law enforcement is too big for law enforcement itself. In other words, there will never be enough money to have enough law enforcers.

He said this to members of the Columbia Rotary Club, Monday, September 17, at their weekly meeting and urged, "If you see something, say something!" It was his way of asking S.C. citizens to become "the power behind the spear."

He posed the thought if every potential criminal knew every person in this state was watching them, then those criminals would think twice before breaking the law. It's a matter of taking pride in S.C., and McMaster is proud of his home state.

"We fought in every war there is and some say we even started a few," he joked.

McMaster light- heartedly commented on the influx of northerners coming to S.C. for a better life saying, "There are so many yankees in Hilton Head now, you can't get across the street!"

McMaster also mentioned he counted about 80 churches that were visible from the road on his way from Columbia to Pawleys Island. "I don't know what that means, but I know it's something good. The more I travel, the more proud I am to be a South Carolinian," he said.

McMaster's pride has shown through in several successful initiatives including:

• Criminal Domestic Violence - The program modeled after Judge Lester Bates's plan has recruited 50 pro bono lawyers to act as prosecutors, created CDV court days, and obtained 1414 convictions since 2003.

• Sexual Predators - Legislature passed a law giving a 10- year penalty to adults that solicit sex from minors. McMaster has seen 90 Internet predators arrested using various sting operations.

• Dog Fighting - McMaster's office has 19 convictions and seized about 300 dogs.

McMaster has other ideas as well. He wants parole abolished, and he wants to establish a middle court to help prevent first time offenders from becoming career criminals, but, he said, "We can pass laws all day long."

The most important part of law enforcement is the average citizen.

"There is no council of geniuses coming down from Washington D.C. We have to do it ourselves," McMaster said.

He reinforced his point and concluded his speech to the Columbia Rotary Club by symbolically deputizing all the members present.