Swansea, SC (Paul Kirby) – Swansea Police Chief Cliff Hayes said Wednesday that he has notified the town he is retiring. Hayes has led the small, southern Lexington County police department for many years.
Hayes said Wednesday that he had filed his retirement papers some time back but that the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed the SC State Police Officers’ Retirement System to a crawl. “I just got my papers back and turned my notice into the town,” Hayes said Wednesday afternoon. “I’m looking forward to being able to spend more time with my family in the future.”
Hayes has been successful as the chief of the Swansea Police Department. He has made it clear since taking over the reins that he intended to enforce the laws of the land and was not going to allow a criminal element to affect the good people who call Swansea home. He has taken a particularly aggressive stance in the war on drugs and worked closely with other law enforcement agencies in the region to keep drugs and the people who use and distribute those off the streets and out of the town. Together, the Swansea Police Department and surrounding jurisdiction like the Town of Gaston’s Police Department have been making an impact on the area's drug problem.
Hayes is an extremely experienced officer. He had worked with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in the past. He is an instructor in pursuit driving and special techniques like the PIT maneuver or the Pursuit Intervention Technique.
Currently, the department’s only other full-time officer is Sgt. Eddie Stone. He is also very experienced and had worked at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the South Congaree Police Department before being named second in command at Swansea. Hayes is working out a short notice before leaving office.
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