Wahalla, SC Looks to Lavonia PD for Grant Info to Expand Police Force

The City of Westminster, SC is looking to the Lavonia Police Department to find out how that department was able to secure a federal grant to hire more officers.

According to our sister station WGOG in Walhalla, this week a concerned citizen came before the Westminster City Council regarding how few officers the town has on its police force.

The Westminster Police Force had seven officers with an eighth in training but it was recently reduced to just five after the Police Chief and another officer resigned over the holidays.

That prompted Westminster resident David Cooper to come before the City Council and Mayor this week to ask what the City is doing to replace those officers and expand its police force.

Cooper pointed to the City of Lavonia Police Department and a recent WLHR News article about a $250,000 grant Lavonia PD was awarded to hire two new police officers.

Westminster Mayor Brian Ramey said they are looking into how to fund more officers.

After hearing from Cooper, Ramey indicated they would reach out to the City of Lavonia to find out more about the grant the Police Department was awarded.

In November, Chief Edmisten announced that the Lavonia Police Department had been awarded the grant by the US Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services or COPS program to hire two new police officers.

Their award is part of the $334 million awarded to law enforcement departments across the country for new officers.

Edmisten said the grant will be awarded over three years.

However, the Chief added that since the grant is the first large DOJ COPS grant his department has ever received, the City must now determine how it will provide the necessary matching funds.