January 9th, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Press conference addresses the good and not-so-good in terms of criminal activity over the previous year Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott held a first-of-the-year press conference, January 6, addressing countywide crime trends – the good and the not so good – going into 2026. Lott opened with a question he’s often asked: “Is it really that bad? Is crime totally out of control?” His answer: “No it’s not [out of control]. We just hear