County selects chief to lead troubled police agency

A veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia has been selected as the new leader of the Horry County Police Department, replacing former chief Saundra Rhodes who stepped down in May.

Maj. Joseph Hill, a 28-year veteran who worked his way up from a patrol officer to commander of the administration support bureau and manager of the human resources and recruiting division, will take over as Horry County Police chief on Sept. 26.

Hill was one of four finalists from four states to be considered for the position. Horry County leaders say they selected him because of his demeanor, background and commitment to community policing.

“His outlook in how to attack crime problems will be successful, and he will strengthen our relationship with outside agencies including the sheriff’s office and solicitor’s office to work as a team to attack the crime issues we have in Horry County,” said Mark Lazarus, Horry County Council chairman.

The biggest problem facing county law enforcements officers and a major issue Hill will have to tackle is the growing use of heroin, Lazarus said.

“It’s a nationwide epidemic and we’ve got to attack the drug problem at its root cause — where it’s coming from,” Lazarus said. “I think (Hill) has some solid insight on that, and when we diminish the drug problem, we diminish the petty crime problem we are having throughout the county.”

County Administrator Chris Eldridge says he is impressed with Hill’s experience managing a large county police agency overseeing 220 of its employees and managing an overall budget of $184 million. Fairfax County Police Department’s staff included 1,377 sworn officers and over 200 civilian staff, according to a release.

In Horry County, Hill will oversee 260 employees and manage a $22 million budget.

Fairfax is not a tourist destination like Horry County, but is a suburb of Washington, D.C. with a diverse population of more than 1.2 million residents. Eldridge said Hill’s experience is a strong match for the agency’s growing needs.

Hill also went the extra mile in the interview process and attended a recent National Night Out event at the Homewood Elementary School in Conway to speak with local residents to get a feel for the community and the county’s needs.

“He took the time to make sure he was a good fit for our community,” Eldridge said. “That was impressive.”

“He definitely has charisma, but he made it clear he’s willing to work hard and throw himself into the job quickly,” Eldridge said.

The ongoing investigation of the S.C. Law Enforcement Division and several ongoing lawsuits against the department were also part of the interview discussion with Hill.

“He knows, he was confident that we have a good department, we have a lot of really good officers, and he knows that organizations can have problems, especially with larger ones,” Eldridge said. “But that didn’t deter him, and he feels that what he’s setting out to do is to make sure we are on the right track.”

At least four officers no longer with the agency are part of the SLED investigation. A former detective also is facing two lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault. Those legal complaints plus a third lawsuit claims the detective coerced the women to participate in nude, video catfights.

After Rhodes stepped down from the chief position this summer, her deputy who was temporarily appointed as interim chief also left the department to take the police chief position in Georgetown.

Rhodes served as chief from 2012 through 2016, taking over from Johnny Morgan who served as chief from 2004 through 2012. Prior to Morgan, Paul Goward was chief from 1995 through 2004.

Asked about the investigations and recent turnover, which included both of Rhodes’ deputy chiefs, Lazarus said he’s confident the new chief will strengthen the agency.

“I think his management style will boost morale and he will come in with bright ideas and new ways to do things to get people on board as team players,” Lazarus said.

“We’re just excited about a quality person, a fresh set of eyes coming in from the outside, which is what we needed and we look forward to his progression in this role,” Lazarus said.

As chief, Hill’s job will be to manage the department and make sure everyone is fulfilling their duties, that policies are followed, and police are providing the services county residents expects, Eldridge said.

Although Hill will not officially begin his duties as chief until next month, he will be formally introduced to the Horry County Council during the Aug. 16 meeting.

Hill graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor’s degree in human resource and leadership in 2007 and earned a graduate degree in homeland security and emergency planning in 2009 from the Virginia Commonwealth University.

The other final contenders for the job included James Moore, police chief for the City of Rocky Mount, Christopher Cotillo, police chief of Seat Pleasant in Maryland, and Alvin Holston, deputy chief of the Sumter Police Department.

This story was originally published August 9, 2016 at 7:03 PM with the headline "County selects chief to lead troubled police agency."