18 law enforcement agencies throughout the counties of Lexington and Richland are accepting donations to help people close to some of their staff members following the impacts of recent hurricanes.

“We all watched as Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian devastated Puerto Rico and Florida and many of our local law enforcement grew up and have family and friends who were severely impacted by these storms,” a release from the Lexington Police Department states. 

To help, Lexington Police along with the other agencies are accepting Visa gift cards that will be taken to Florida and Puerto Rico and “given to those in the most need.” These donations can be brought to any of the participating agencies through Nov. 18.

The agencies taking part, 14 of which are in Lexington County, are: 

• Batesburg-Leesville Police Department
• Chapin Police Department
• Cayce Police Department
• Columbia Police Department
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport Police Department
• Forest Acres Police Department
• Gaston Police Department
• Irmo Police Department
• Lexington Medical Center Department of Public Safety
• Lexington Police Department
• Pelion Police Department
• Pine Ridge Police Department
• Richland County Sheriff's Department
• South Congaree Police Department
• Springdale Police Department
• Swansea Police Department
• University of South Carolina Police Department
• West Columbia Police Department

The agencies are also encouraging people to make donations to The Salvation Army for disaster relief from the hurricanes in Florida and Puerto Rico.

In announcing the campaign, Lexington Police shared a video featuring members of several law enforcement agencies in the two counties that “captures stories and reflections from officers and deputies.”

In the two-minute video, members of the police departments in Lexington, Irmo, Springdale and the sheriff’s departments in Lexington and Richland counties talk (some in Spanish) about the hardships, such as flooding and extended power loss, suffered by their families in Puerto Rico and the difficulty some of them have had in getting in touch with their loved ones.