CAYCE, S.C. — The City of Cayce has hired a new police chief after Chief Chris Cowan stepped down back in July.
A native South Carolinian, Chief Herbert Blake is a veteran police officer and currently serves as the Chief Deputy of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in Asheville, North Carolina. He will retire from this position on September 30, 2024, and has formally accepted the position of the Police Chief in the City of Cayce.
During his career, Blake served as the police chief of the Hendersonville Police Department for 13 years and as the police chief of the Loris Police Department for seven years before that. Blake began his law enforcement career as a police officer with the Town of Ridgeland.
Blake has a Master’s Degree in Management and a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. Some of his advanced leadership training includes: The School of Executive Leadership at the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration, the Police Executive Development Program at Penn State University; the Executive Management Program at Northwestern University, the Public Executive Leadership Academy at the UNC School of Government, a host of Command colleges with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Trilogy Award from FBI-LEEDA.
“We are excited about our incoming Chief,” said Cayce Interim City Manager Jim Crosland. “Chief Herbert Blake’s experience, and reputation as a leader in professional policing across North and South Carolina stood out to each of us that served on the selection committee. I look forward to him leading our police department and serving the citizens of Cayce.”
Blake, and his wife Linda, have been married for 37 years, have 5 grown children and 6 grandchildren.