YORK, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – If you’ve driven through the City of York recently you might have seen a man carrying a wooden cross through the city. Now, he’s run into some issues regarding the city’s sidewalks and how they are being maintained.
For more than two years, Steven Grant has carried this cross through the City of York as part of his ministry. Earlier this month, while making the walk on East Liberty Street with his wife, she injured herself on brush and an uneven sidewalk within York City limits.
“My wife cut it with her ankle, broke her ankle skinned her knee up real bad and bruised her ribs,” says Grant.
Steven decided to clear the path himself cutting what he says were overgrown limbs from a tree growing in someone’s yard. That decision got York’s Police Department involved and called into question whether Steven was damaging private property or cutting public property.
Quote from York Police, from the Officer’s Body Camera:
“Just be careful man because I don’t want to see something happen because like I said technically it’s their property, okay? It does spill over into a public sidewalk but that’s up to the city to enforce, we have a code enforcement officer so if you have issues with it I would suggest talking to him.”
Quote from York Police, from the Officer’s Body Camera:
“And like I reiterated, I understand that you’re doing it as a good gesture, okay? But at the end of the day it’s not your property to do that to you okay?”
Steven posted on his social media about the interaction with the police saying, “…that high ranking officer told me that the police force was very spread out, and they didn’t have time for this….The leading ranking officer told me that it was against the law for me to be trimming the sidewalks…”
In response York’s Police Chief Andy Robinson had this to say on social media, “…when complaints are unfounded, it is equally my responsibility to support my employees and ensure that the reputation of #YourYPD and our employees is not unjustly tainted.”
Quote from York Police, from the Officer’s Body Camera:
“So here’s the deal I made contact with the individual who owns the property, okay? They don’t want charges pressed but they don’t want you to do it again okay? So I understand you want to walk but you can’t be going around tearing people’s stuff down.”
York’s Mayor Mike Fuesser saying this year, nearly $15,000 is being allocated to improving sidewalks, but that money will only cover the repair of a little more than 200 feet.
“Things need to be trimmed on the sidewalks every week. I have a really tough ministry, I really love it but it’s a tough and time-consuming ministry,” says Grant.
A ministry, Steven says he’ll continue to do his work in the city.
“I am over 3,304 miles….because I love you, and I love this city, and I love what I do,” says Grant.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is speaking with him about a recent incident. Full statements and York Police body camera footage can be found on Steven Grant’s and the York Police Department’s Facebook pages.
