Town of Swansea names new police chief

Swansea, SC (Paul Kirby) - The Town of Swansea has confirmed that Earl Williams III has been offered the position of police chief in the southern Lexington County town. Williams was hired to replace Chief Cliff Hayes who retired last month.

Prior to being offered the chief’s job in Swansea, Williams worked for the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Earlier in his career, he was employed by the Saluda County Sheriff's Department on the road and then in their detention center.

A Town of Swansea official has confirmed that Williams has said he will make some fundamental changes within the Swansea Police Department as soon as he is sworn in. He’s said he will discontinue the long-time practice of Swansea police officers driving their patrol cars home after each shift. Williams will continue to commute in his patrol car because he may be called in to work at any time. He lives northwest of the Town of Lexington.

Confirmed reports say Chief Williams will also immediately rework the department’s police pursuit policy eliminating these accept in the case of a felony. Swansea officers have pursued offenders in Lexington, Calhoun, and Orangeburg Counties.

Although Chief Williams was already being shown around town, no date for a public swearing in has been set.