Two police chiefs from upstate South Carolina left their posts abruptly last week, raising questions about what may have motivated their sudden exits. Multiple law enforcement sources and prosecutors in the field contacted this news outlet with some worrying reports related to each of these officers – although it remains to be seen whether these reports have anything to do with last week’s unexpected announcements.
At the time of this writing, it did not appear that any investigative referrals were made to the SC State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) – although we will follow up with the agency in the coming weeks to see if anything has been sent.
Last Wednesday (July 15, 2020), Easley, SC Chief of Police Tim Tollison resigned after more than a quarter of a century in the department (including five years as chief). The next morning – Thursday, July 16, 2020 – neighboring Pickens, SC, announced that she had separated from the deputy himself, Travis Riggs.
Riggs – who also served as chief of police for five years – was reportedly the subject of a closed-door meeting of the Pickens city council on Monday, July 13, 2020. Obviously, it is not known what was discussed at that meeting … which highlights our continued opposition to these anti-transparent government meetings.
According Pickens County Courier, city officials issued a statement indicating that they were “united in the decision to move the police department in a different direction to better serve and protect its citizens”.
The statement thanks Riggs “for his services to the city and the police department”.
As for Tollison, a press release from his former employer wished him “the best in his new ventures”.
Easley is a city of 21,000 people located in the southeast of Pickens County – approximately 12 miles west of Greenville, SC. The city of Pickens – which is the county seat – is located northwest of Easley and is home to about 3,100 citizens.
As this news medium documented ad nauseam in recent years, the misconduct of law enforcement in Palmetto State has been rampant – especially when it comes to officials at the local level.
That’s a shame …
Police misconduct should not be tolerated under any circumstances, but it is inexcusable in the current climate – and the recent wave of misbehavior by certain boys (and girls) in blue must be addressed as part of an ongoing effort to reform law enforcement practices in Palmetto State.
As for this means of communication, we have previously advocated supporting mandatory minimums for misbehaving leaders (including police officers who violate the laws they have sworn to comply with).
Stay tuned … we hope to have additional information on these two abrupt exits in the coming weeks.
-FITSNews
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(Via: Pickens Police Department)