Laurens Police Department Welcomes Lt. Kevin Cox
September 21, 2022
Last week Chief Grounsell and the Laurens Police Department (LPD) welcomed the Lieutenant (LT) over Uniform Patrol, Kevin Cox.
Lt. Kevin Cox is a graduate of Mauldin High School and started with the Greenville Police Department in 1999 as a Communication Specialist. He then moved over to the Uniform Patrol Division where he served as a Police Officer. In 2004 he was promoted to Corporal and began working as a Field Training Officer (FTO) and senior officer on patrol with supervisory duties.
Cox was selected to join the Greenville City PD SWAT team in 2005. While on the SWAT team, he became an instructor in firearms, less lethal munitions, OC, distraction devices, chemical weapons, active shooter, live fire shoot house, pepper-ball, and specific skills. He served as the SWAT Team Leader from 2010 to 2022. During that time, he was responsible for training, planning, leading, and commanding the team on numerous search warrants, barricaded subjects, and hostage rescue situations.
In 2007, Cox transferred to the Vice and Narcotics Division and spent 5 years working as a plain clothes detective. While working with his partner from SLED, they were able to successfully investigate and had one of the largest short-term drug and money seizures in South Carolina. They seized 2,300 pounds of marijuana, $1.3 million in cash, a kilogram of cocaine and multiple firearms. The case was directly linked to a cartel in Mexico and turned over to the DEA for further investigating.
In 2015 Cox was promoted to Sergeant. In this rank, he served as a supervisor on patrol in the Central Business District of downtown Greenville. He later took on the role of supervisor over all Greenville County Schools in the City of Greenville and served as the liaison to the Greenville County School District. While in this position he also assisted with the planning and coordination of the annual Officer Allen Jacobs youth summer camp.
The Laurens Police Department and the city of Laurens is pleased to have him.
