Cramped quarters at West Precinct prompts Horry County chief to ask for a building

Horry County police’s West Precinct is working out of a couple of offices, a hallway filled with a copier and file cabinets and a storage shed in the magistrate’s office in Green Sea and Chief Saundra Rhodes said it’s time to do something about it.

That’s why she’s asking the county to keep the $1.3 million station on its radar for future capital improvement projects.

“We have most certainly outgrown that building,” Rhodes said. “Honestly, I believe we need to fix our current situation before we move forward.”

About two years ago, Horry County police officials adjusted the size of patrol areas in an attempt to evenly distribute call volume for officers and dispatchers.

The change reduced the South Precinct and added some coverage areas to the Central and North Precincts. After the realignment, call volumes increased in the West Precinct from 14 percent of all calls to 19 percent after the change.

“Since I became chief, I started the process of decentralizing to get more accountability to the captains and the commanders in the area,” Rhodes said. “I wouldn’t want someone’s house is burglarized in Green Sea to drive all the way to Conway to talk to a property crimes detective.”

Rhodes presented her dilemma to the County Council at its spring budget retreat.

Mark Lazarus, council chairman, said alternative funding, like impact fees on new development or millage increases, will be needed to fund some of the special requests like building the West Precinct building.

“Certainly we need to make sure that public safety has everything that they need to operate,” Lazarus said. “There’s certainly a need out there... It’s a priority, but it’s all about funding right now.”

County officials were asked at the spring budget retreat to examine an impact fee on new single-family home developments, scaled based on the value of the home. Lazarus said he figures enough revenue would be raised considering 200 new homes per month are currently brought before the planning department.

Though law states impact fees can help solely with capital improvement, the move would help free up money from the general fund to re-allocate to public safety.

Lazarus said although a capital improvement plan is needed for the future of the county, the council is faced with more immediate needs.

“My priority right now is more boots on the ground, and making sure we can cover our rising health insurance costs,” Lazarus said, referring to the county’s effort to trim health insurance costs and realign personal time off as a way to save money spent on overtime. “We’ve got to prioritize it. Everything has got to be prioritized as what are the immediate needs. All of it comes down to the safety and welfare of the public and of our personnel.”

Rhodes said the county would have a jump start to plans since the West Precinct would be built similar to the other precincts, some of which have been built in recent years.

“There is definitely a need,” Rhodes said. “We’re functioning. That’s just my wish list.”

This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 8:29 PM with the headline "Cramped quarters at West Precinct prompts Horry County chief to ask for a building."