DARLINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — Hartsville Interim Police Chief Byron Snellgrove said he really thought his time would be up in the position and a permanent chief in place by now, but that's not the case.
Snellgrove started in May and was expected to be in the position for a few months.
However, city leaders liked the work he was doing to improve the department and asked Snellgrove to stay on a little longer.
He said the city is wonderful and he loves his nearly 40 officers and other staff members within the police department.
"We have a lot of great employees. And they want to make a difference. And we are enabling them to do that," said Snellgrove.
Officials said Snellgrove has decades’ worth of experience in law enforcement.
Since May, he's improved communications within the Department and with City Hall, reorganized personnel to better serve the citizens, started a new recruiting program to fill department vacancies, and created a mentoring system for new supervisors.
"As long as communication is going on within the department, usually a department is fairly happy. So, when people don’t know what’s going on, they start questioning the direction and all that kind of stuff. But we are making clear what the direction is. Made it clear that they could do the job. And do it well,” explained Snellgrove.
He added they're continuing to work with the federal task force to get violent criminals off the street.
"We are doing everything that we can. We are targeting our violent offenders. Because we want them off the street. We want them out in Hartsville. In fact, we want them out of Darlington County. The sheriff and I have been discussing a joint, narcotics violent crimes task force. And we are looking into how we can get that up and running. So that we could make this area a very safe place in South Carolina.”
He talked about arrests in a shooting Sunday afternoon that injured a small child on Swift Creek Road in Hartsville.
Snellgrove said they're not going to tolerate violent crimes in the community.
"As you know last night, we had a very bad, sad situation. The citizens of Hartsville are tired of that. They don’t want that. They’ve made it very clear to me that they want our department to do something about that. And we are. We are not going to allow that in the city. We are not going to put up with it. And if you plan on coming into Hartsville, then committing a crime, especially a violent crime, you’re gonna expect that we’re gonna come after you with everything that we’ve got. And then we’re going to do everything that we can legally, to ensure that you’re not gonna do that again," he said.
Snellgrove said their community outreach unit is really hitting the pavement to be more visible and to listen to neighbors' concerns.
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He praised the work of the lieutenants who oversee the unit.
“I see that when we are more active, the citizens become more receptive to it. And they become more willing to discuss. Things that have happened to you. Because they start seeing you. And they start trusting you. It’s a trust thing. Your community has to trust the department. Andy's department has to trust the community. I mean, if you don’t work hand-in-hand to stop this stuff, it’s not going to get stopped.”
Snellgrove also oversees the department’s Field Operations Division, Investigations Division, and the ROS Division.
Prior to coming to the Hartsville Police Department, Snellgrove worked in law enforcement for over 37 years, beginning his career with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department in 1986 as a Deputy Sheriff. He has spent time serving with the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Narcotics Unit, The University of South Carolina Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and was the Director of the Cayce Department of Public Safety until his retirement in January 2022. Most recently Snellgrove has served as an Advisor for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Council along with being a keynote speaker for International Law Enforcement Conferences. Also, Snellgrove works with Midlands Technical College in the Police Department Accreditation Program and serves on their Criminal Justice Advisory Board. In 2021 Governor Henry McMaster presented Chief Snellgrove with the Order of the Palmetto, which is the highest honor that the State bestows upon a civilian.
He's not sure how long he'll be in Hartsville as interim chief but plans to do all he can to make it better for the next leader of the force.
“You want to be able to increase salaries. Get better equipment. You want to get a better building. You want to make sure that the leadership of the department is able to, succeed. And have a succession plan. And you want the guys and girls to enjoy working here. So, they will say. Have a good retention and recruitment program for the department.”
Right now, the department has five vacancies.
Snellgrove said he's actively working to fill those positions with people who will be a good fit for the city.
