Silenced by fear

Illegal immigrants could be targets
of crime that goes unreported

July 2, 2006

By MEGAN VARNER
Index-Journal senior staff writer

Being the victim of a crime is a frightening and stressful experience for anyone. But for some victims, the experience is worsened by the fear of what might happen to them if they report that crime to the police.
For illegal immigrants, the fear of deportation might keep them silent.
And some local authorities say criminals are using that fear to target Hispanics for crimes because they think the act will go unreported.
A jury recently convicted a Saluda man of kidnapping after authorities said he approached a group of Hispanics in the parking lot of a Greenville apartment complex, pointed a gun at the victims and forced them to get into his vehicle, Eighth Circuit Solicitor Jerry Peace said. The victims were driven to Greenwood, where they were robbed of their money and forced to get out of the vehicle, Peace said.
This type of crime against members of the Hispanic population is not all that uncommon in the Upstate area. In October, The Associated Press reported that the number of these types of crimes against Hispanics is on the rise in Greenville County.
In many robberies, a group of Hispanics was approached by a person who pulled a gun and demanded their money and other belongings, and a majority of the crimes occurred at apartment complexes.
Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mike Frederick said criminals targeting Hispanics is not a “big” problem in the county, but Peace said he’s seen the crimes — both violent and non-violent — occurring at a noticeable rate through the Eighth Judicial Circuit, which includes Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens and Newberry counties.
A case in Laurens County involved women who preyed upon Hispanic men, offering them promises of sex. After the men took the women to their homes, the victims were robbed by men who were friends with the women, Peace said.
But Peace added that it is hard to estimate how often crimes such as this occur against members of the Hispanic community because the victims are often too afraid to contact authorities. They are scared of the possible consequences.
“I’ve seen it circuit-wide. You don’t know how often it happens because they are afraid to come forward,” Peace said. “A lot of them are here illegally, and they are afraid if they come forward, they’ll be deported. They don’t want to deal with it.”
During 2004, more than 563,000 Hispanics above age 12 were reported victims of rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault in the United States, according to information on the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics Web site. But a study on that Web site showed that the rate of victimization against Hispanics fell nearly 70 percent between 1993 and 2004.
Greenwood Police Assistant Chief Mike Butler said the department is aware that some people might not report a crime because they are not in the country legally. But he said the department is not required to notify federal immigration and customs authorities of a victim’s citizenship status simply for reporting a crime. He said anyone who has been victimized should not fear contacting the police for assistance.
“We are not a reporting agency just because (the person) has reported a crime to us,” Butler said. “We certainly don’t want to discourage people from making reports.”
People who are not legal citizens of this country are still protected by law enforcement, he added.
“They have the rights and privilege to make a report just like anyone else,” Butler said. “We just want to know if a crime has been committed. The main thing to do is call 911 and let us come over.”
Frederick said the sheriff’s office handles the situation in a similar manner.
“If we have a victim of a crime,” he said, “then we are going to treat them as a victim.”
Frederick said Hispanics, whether here legally or illegally, sometimes have a mistrust of authority that also can make them hesitant to report crimes to law enforcement.
“Culturally speaking, Hispanics tend to be an insular group,” Frederick said. “They can have a cultural mistrust of big law enforcement.”
Peace said the crimes affect not only the Hispanic victims’ safety, but also the justice system. The victims’ reluctance to work with law enforcement can make it difficult to prosecute cases and put the criminals behind bars, he said. Not only are the witnesses and victims sometimes difficult to locate, he said, they are also difficult to persuade to testify in court.
“It’s extremely frustrating” from a solicitor’s standpoint, Peace said. “We had a case in Laurens where someone was killed, and all of the witnesses took off ... We ended up having to drop that case because they didn’t want to get involved.”
Butler said law enforcement officials are working to reach out to the Hispanic community to better inform them of their rights and tear down some of the cultural barriers that might be keeping victims from receiving help. The department has translation services and information for Hispanic victims, and he said a number of officers are learning to speak basic Spanish.
Both steps, Butler said, are helping to “bridge the gap” between the cultures so that officers can better serve and protect the community.

Opinion

Sanford keeps promises; critics try to exploit it

July 2, 2006

Politics, Otto von Bismarck once said, is the art of the possible. Considering the knock-down-drag-out kind of politics practiced in South Carolina these days, though, a lot of people wonder if anything can be possible. They have good reasons for that attitude, too.
So much is negative, complete with harsh words and accusations, it’s a wonder that anybody ever gets along with anyone else after the campaigning is over. Recent elections in Greenwood are indicative of the mudslinging that permeates politics at all levels.
There’s no denying there have been clear signs that people in general are getting fed up with all the malicious rhetoric that has seemingly become the rule instead of the exception.

SOMEHOW, THOUGH, THAT hasn’t had an impact significant enough to convince candidates to stop it.
Example: A Greenwood reader laments the harsh criticism that Gov. Mark Sanford is subjected to and the contrariness of it all. He sees it as a perfect example of politics turned upside down. Furthermore, he has a very good point. He notes that when Sanford first ran for governor he told voters exactly where he stood on various issues and what he would do. Voters obviously thought enough of what he said he’d do to elect him. Once in office he did what he promised.
Now, fast forward to Sanford’s campaign for a second term. He’s lambasted all over the place by critics for doing what he told voters he would do. It would seem the voters would be happy to have a governor - any politician - who says something and then does it.
THEY DON’T NECESSARILY have to agree. Keeping promises is refreshing all by itself ..... and welcome. That’s such an unlikely concept in today’s political world. Maybe that’s what worries some people. After all, it goes against everything that has given politics a black eye ..... and there’s been an abundance of those, in Columbia and Washington.
Of course, broken promises have come to be so commonplace nowadays, whether in politics, marriage, business or any other pursuit. Seeing political promises kept may be so out of the ordinary it’s hard to fathom. So, then, when someone comes along and keeps his promises, some people have become so conditioned to the opposite they just don’t know what to do. Don’t despair. You can bet voters do.

Obituaries

Wilford Attaway

HODGES — Wilford Attaway, 74, of 1007 Gary Road, died July 1, 2006 at Hospice House. Born in Greenwood County, he was the son of the late Robert Daniel and Mary Martha Warren Attaway. Mr. Attaway was a retired electrician with Cullum Electric.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Lisa Attaway Szymanski.
Surviving is a daughter, Mary Jane Riggins of Greenwood; a sister, Barbara Jean Walker of Greenwood; two grandsons, Adam Wilson and Chris Wilson both of Greenwood; and his former wife, Joanne Bowers of Greenwood.
Graveside services will be held 11:00AM Monday at Greenwood Memorial Gardens with the Reverend Chuck Sprouse officiating.
Pallbearers will be Danny Attaway, Ronny Dixon, Dale Cole, Chris Miller, Jacob Miller and Mike Hastings. The family will receive friends Sunday, at Harley Funeral Home from 7:00 until 9:00 PM.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Care of the Piedmont % Hospice House, 408 West Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
The family is at the home of Joanne Bowers, 106 Columbia Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646 Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Mac McCue

TUPELO, MS — George Curran “Mac” McCue, 56, died May 26, 2006 at the Sanctuary Hospice House after a brief illness.
Born in Pittsburg, PA, March 9, 1950, he was a son of the late John Earl and Patricia Louise Poole McCue. Hagerstown, MD was his childhood home where he was an Eagle Scout. He played football at the University of Maryland prior to graduating from the College of Charleston where he received a B. A. Degree in History. He then earned a Master’s Degree in public administration from the University of South Carolina. He was a US Marine Veteran of the Vietnam War.
Mac taught for over 20 years at several institutions of higher learning including the College of Charleston and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He loved sports, fly fishing, cooking, collecting antiques and especially his Labrador retriever, Tabasco.
He will be remembered for his incredible sense of humor and genuine love of people and life in general. He was of the Catholic faith.
Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Patti Still McCue of Tupelo and formerly of Green-wood, SC; a sister, Karen Paulick and husband, Bill of Juneau, AK and a special niece, Kristina Paulick of Juneau; his father and mother-in-law, Ralph and Jean Ellis Still of Greenwood and a sister-in-law, Leesa Still of Mt. Pleasant.
Memorial services will be conducted at 11 am Friday, July 7th in the chapel at J. Henry Stuhr Funeral Home, 1308 Mathis Ferry Road in Mt. Pleasant.
Interment with full military honors will be at 2 pm Friday in the Beaufort National Cemetery, Beaufort, SC.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 10 to 11 Friday morning.
Memorials may be made to Sanctuary Hospice House, PO Box 2177, Tupelo, MS 38803 or to a local humane society.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com
Announcement courtesy of Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services.
PAID OBITUARY

W. A. Pridmore Jr

Wilburn A. Pridmore, Jr., 84, of 465 Drayton Hall Road, Duncan, SC, formerly of Greenwood, widower of Geneva G. Pridmore died Saturday, July 01, 2006 at Hospice House.
Born in Greenville, he was a son of the late W.A. and Zora Pridmore. Mr. Pridmore was retired from Capsugel, a member of the Star Fort Golf Club, a Mason and a Shriner. He was an US Army veteran of WWII and a member of Woodfields Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by a son Fred A. Pridmore.
Surviving is a daughter, Freda J. Moore of Duncan; a sister, Nancy Chalmers of Atlanta, GA; a brother, Maurice Pridmore of Greenwood; seven grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; and his caregiver, Beverly Shelton of Spartanburg.
Services will be 2:00 pm Monday at Woodfields Baptist Church with the Dr. Robert Miller and the Reverend Woody Oliver officiating. Burial will follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Jimmy Joyce, Jerry Tafta, Brandon Moore, Steve Pridmore, Jamie Pridmore, Rudolph Sims and Dyke Cooper.
Honorary pallbearers will be the Star Fort Seniors.
The family will receive friends at the church before the service from 1:00 until 2:00 pm.
The family has asked that flowers be omitted and memorials be made to Woodfields Baptist Church, 1708 Marshall Road, Greenwood, SC 29646 or to Hospice Care of the Piedmont % Hospice House, 408 West Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646.
The family is at the home of his brother, Maurice Pridmore, 153 Crescent Road, Greenwood, SC 29649.
Harley Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com
PAID OBITUARY

Sallie Usher

CALHOUN FALLS — Sallie Davis Usher, 81, of 107 Seneca Circle, widow of Moses Usher Sr, died Friday, June 30, 2006 at Abbeville County Memorial Hospital.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Friendly Funeral Home.

Vivian Witt

Vivian Johnson Witt, 70, of 824 East Cambridge Ave., widow of Cleo Witt, died Saturday, July 1, 2006 at the home of her daughter.
Born in Anderson, she was a daughter of the late Gladys and Mary Cureton Johnson. She was a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church, the Missionary Society, the Eveready Club, and usher board.
Survivors include five sons, Jimmy Lee Johnson, Cleveland Witt Jr, Tyrone Witt, all of the home, Clement Witt of Greenwood, and Derrick Witt of Ninety Six; three daughters, Patricia Johnson, Rose Johnson, both of Greenwood, and Maria Witt of the home; two brothers, Bennie Johnson of Greenwood and Ed Van Johnson of Spartanburg; three sisters, Verzina Andrews, Lena Jones, and Ruby Johnson, all of Greenwood; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren.
The family is at the home of a daughter, Patricia Johnson, 301 Annette Way.
Services will be announced by Percival - Tompkins Funeral Home.