Laurens County 2023 Officer of Year Announced

Last week was Law Enforcement Appreciation week. This week, officers from Clinton and Laurens Police and deputies from the Sheriff’s office gathered with community supporters for the annual officer of the year program.

Each county law enforcement department selected their officer of the year and the three were considered for Laurens County Officer of the Year.

The nominees included:

• Timothy Byrd, Laurens County Sheriff’s Office
• School Resource Officer David Lollis, Clinton Public Safety
• Casey Jones, Laurens Police Department

The program was held at Piedmont Technical College Laurens Campus. Breakfast was provided by Stoddard Catering and was made possible because of generous sponsors including Commission on Public Works, Firmin Ford, Laurens Chamber of Commerce, Laurens County Water & Sewer, Peay & Associates, Piedmont Technical College, PRTC, and the Fraternal Order of Police.

The program opened with the National Anthem sung by Scott Parton of Davidson Street Baptist Church following by a moment of silence for the lost in the line of duty.

The moment of silence was followed by remarks from John Young, chairman of Laurens County Crime Stoppers and General Manager of Laurens County Commission on Public Works. Laurens County Crime Stoppers was launched in 2010 and serves as a community-based organization to support law enforcement.

Next up in the program was the introduction and recognition of the three nominees for officer of the year.

Sheriff Don Reynolds recognized Lt. Timothy Byrd and spoke of his dedication. Byrd has been with the Sheriff’s office for 10 years and is also a member of their SWAT Team and a mentor to a child in the community.  “Lt. Byrd works tirelessly to bring justice for victims,” said Sheriff Reynolds. “We are very proud of him and fortunate to have him as a member of our team.”

Clinton Public Safety Chief Sonny Ledda recognized SRO David Lollis and remarked that Lollis wears many hats. “In addition to his role as a school resource officer, he is also a valuable part of our training cadre,” said Ledda. “His role as an SRO is very important as he builds relationships of trust with the youth in our community, and he is perfect in this position.”

Major Kevin Cox with Laurens Police Department recognized their nominee Sgt. Casey Jones. Cox spoke highly of Jones and said he is instrumental to the work of the department. Laurens Police Chief Keith Grounsell was unable to attend but when reached for comment said, “It is always an honor to recognize exceptional police work. Sgt. Casey Jones heads up our traffic safety unit. As a leader he was responsible for reducing serious traffic accidents in the city of Laurens by more than 60%. In addition he is responsible for an 80% reduction in fatality accidents. His work saved many lives and continues to do so on a daily basis. These are astounding numbers, and only part of the reason for his recognition. On top of this he’s a great leader and team player that goes above and beyond the call of duty every single day in order to ensure the safety of the public,” Chief Keith Grounsell

Chief Grounsell also shared with the Buzz that the traffic safety unit will be getting an upgrade of sorts. “Not to let the cat out of the bag too soon, but Sgt Jones and our traffic safety unit are soon going to be out patrolling in our two new mustangs. These are used mustangs purchase at much less than the cost of a regular patrol vehicle. These unmarked cars will allow us to blend in better and catch up to speeding violators much more quickly. Be on the lookout for photos once the lights and equipment packages are installed. This is yet another outside the box approach we are taking to help make our roads safer than ever.” According to Chief Grounsell.

The keynote speaker for the event was Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis. Lewis was introduced by Sheriff Reynolds who said, “It’s good to know we have a partner at the county line.” Lewis was elected in 2020 by a large margin and enjoys a very favorable reputation in Greenville County.

In his remarks, Sheriff Lewis acknowledged that it’s a tough time to be in law enforcement. “We are constantly scrutinized by others who often don’t have all the facts,” said Lewis. “Being a law enforcement officer requires grit or “stick to it-ness” to do the job every day. Bad stuff will make the news but all of you are doing great things every day on the job and truly making a difference in your community. You make Laurens County a safer and better place to live.”

Following remarks from Lewis, John Young returned to the podium to announce the Laurens County Officer of the Year. While they are all winners, Lt. Timothy Byrd with the Sheriff’s office was selected for the honor.

The program closed with a benediction and remarks from Pastor Kenny Moore with Davidson Street Baptist Church. “Thank you for all that you do. My wife and I thank you and pray for you regularly. We want you to know that we have your back. Always,” said Pastor Moore.

Congratulations Lt. Byrd, Laurens County 2023 Officer of the Year, and to the other nominees for their much-deserved recognition for a job well done.

Thank you to all law enforcement officers for all that you do to keep our community safe and more.

In Laurens County, we back the blue.