Community activists in Greenville call for the city's police chief's resignation
During a press conference outside the Greenville City Public Safety Complex on April 18, Derrick Quarles, Bruce Wilson, and Paul Guy questioned how officers under internal investigation are allowed to quit and move to another agency, potentially creating future public safety issues. They also cited a lack of diversity within the department.
In calling for Greenville Police Chief Howie Thompson's job, Quarles, who ran for Greenville County Council District 25 in 2024, said the chief isn't who the city needs to lead the department.
"People call me from this agency all the time. They're sick and tired. Chief Thompson has got to resign," Quarles said. "He is not leading this agency effectively."
Thompson declined to comment on the demand that he step aside or questions about officer resignations and the department's diversity.
According to documents that show why officers left the department, at least four Greenville police officers resigned in 2022 while under an internal investigation. Those same officers joined other law enforcement agencies and received recommendations from police department officials.
"This practice hides misconduct. It protects the careers of these officers, and it leaves our community exposed. It's not just negligence. This is unethical, and it's really dangerous," Quarles said.
Quarles said it's an accountability issue and not an anti-police issue.
"Time and time again, when an officer violates policy and breaks the law, they should not be allowed to resign and continue to work in law enforcement. They should be held accountable, just like any of us are," Quarles said.
According to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, if an officer remains at the department during the internal investigation and is found guilty, the police agency must report the officer to the Justice Academy. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council in Columbia would then judge the officer's case.
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If the Law Enforcement Council votes the officer guilty, the officer can no longer return to law enforcement.
Wilson, another community activist who spoke during the press conference, said that officers who are allowed to do wrong will continue to do so if they are not reprimanded.
"It creates an unsafe neighborhood for all of us," he said.
The group also said the Greenville Police Department needs to do better in terms of having a diverse police force.
In 2021, data obtained by The Greenville News through the Freedom of Information Act and the latest data available, the department was 87.5% white, 7.2% Black, 3.8% Hispanic, and 1.4% Asian, American Indian or native Alaskan. The city's population is about 20.5% Black, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Wilson said if law enforcement wants a good relationship with the community, its staff must mirror the people they protect.
"Having an individual that looks like you, having an individual that you can have a dialogue with, it is beneficial. It's helpful," Wilson said.
He further criticized the police department and said they're not making an effort to consider Black job candidates.
"We're not saying that you should hire just anybody because they're African American or Black," Wilson said. "You hire people that are qualified. What we're saying the problem is you're not even looking, you're not even trying, you're not making the attempt. There are a host of people that look like me, that are qualified."
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Greenville activists criticize city's police; call for chief to quit
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