WINNSBORO, S.C. — The first day on the job as Winnsboro’s interim police chief means a swearing-in ceremony for Kevin Lawrence, who said he’s ready to get to work.
"I'm already getting together with faith leaders in the community and other organizations to try to come up with a plan to where we can all work together effectively," Lawrence said.
A veteran law enforcement officer, Lawrence brings more than 15 years of experience, having worked in Richland, Aiken and Fairfield counties.
He said building trust with the community is a priority.
"You have to talk to people, you have to know what’s going on. if they don't trust you, if they don’t talk to you, you can’t solve crimes and you can’t do your job," said Lawrence.
Last week, Chief John Siebles resigned after serving the town for five years.
Mary Anne Tolbart who's lived in Winnsboro for more than 30 years, said she wants to see more officers out in the community.
"We used to have every door on main street checked because an officer walked down the street and checked every business, and that's no where near happening now because we maybe have two people working," Tolbart said.
Resident Rachael Boyd-Bell said she welcomes the chief's new ideas.
“It's not necessarily about who is the chief, it's about the community, how the community pulls together because we are as strong as our weakest link," Boyd-Bell said.
With recent crimes in town, including several shootings, Town Manager Jason Taylor tells News 19 the department is working to fill several positions and is planning on installing surveillance cameras within the next few months as a push towards safety.
"For here in town, we’re looking at ten, and they would be in some of the areas where we’ve had consistent crime problems, and then on our main street, which is Congress Street," said Taylor.
Taylor said the town is searching for a full-time chief, which should be hired by January.