Travelers Rest Hires New Police Chief
Benjamin Ford, a Mauldin police sergeant, was appointed police chief of Travelers Rest on Thursday.
He will fill the position vacated by former Police Chief Lance Crowe, who retired earlier this year.
Ford supervised training for 53 officers and 12 civilians in his current position. He has 19 years of law enforcement experience and has worked 13 years with the city of Mauldin.
"I'd like to help the (Travelers Rest) Police Department grow along with the city. I want the Police Department to be a destination where officers want to come work where we can be a family oriented department and everyone works hard together to accomplish the goals of the community and of the city," Ford said.
Currently the Travelers Rest Police Department has 22 employees.
His goal is to pursue better pay, training and equipment for officers to keep the department competitive with other agencies in the area.
"I've been in law enforcement for almost 20 years now and I want to leave my mark and I want to help grow other leaders and help those individuals who are coming up in the profession grow as employees and individuals," Ford said.
Aside from that, he'd also like to grow the department's involvement in the community by forming a citizens police academy as well as a summer youth program.
Ford grew up and currently lives in Travelers Rest with his wife and children. He graduated from Travelers Rest High School in 1994 before continuing on to Greenville Technical College and then Charleston Southern University for a bachelors degree in criminal justice.
He worked most of his career for Mauldin police and spent one year working in vice, alcohol and narcotics for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
"I think they're getting a good person," Mauldin Police Chief Bryan Turner said. "Ben's been a solid employee in various facets from patrol up to management. We hate to lose him, but he's fulfilling something important to him,"
Ford begins work in Travelers Rest on Dec. 18 and will be sworn in Dec. 20.