MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW)- The Myrtle Beach Police Department is 12 officers short.
Lt. Joey Crosby with the department says handling the calls in the city can be a real challenge when they’re short officers.
Right now, he says officers are working overtime shifts with long hours away from their families, and those long hours and the high-stress job is part of the reason for the vacancies.
“It’s a very demanding profession to where you work long hours. You’re required to be away from your family, especially on those major holidays and special events. It takes a toll on the officers themselves and their families,” said Crosby.
In the last few days, the job hasn’t been easy. Myrtle Beach Police responded to five shootings in the city last week, shots were reportedly fired last Wednesday, and gun shots were heard again on Saturday.
In a department 12 officers short, their resources are stretched thin.
“We have a very high call volume for our area. So, when you have vacancies such as that, it requires officers to put in additional hours. That’s why we have to do extra overtime hours,” said Crosby.
Right now, Crosby says they’ve made offers to ten people to join the department, but even if they accept, they won’t finish training for about a year.
“Having those officers come on board, being certified, and getting them through and completing the FTO program will certainly help the officers that are on the road now,” said Crosby.
Still, no matter how many officers they have, Crosby says they can’t make Myrtle Beach safer or solve the crimes without you.
“The many instances that we have seen over the past couple of weeks, the accidents have been happening when officers are literally a block away from them. So, while additional officers are needed and that is a solution to the problem, that is not the only solution to the problem. We need to work together as a community to exchange ideas and make our community a safer place,” said Crosby.
Crosby says right now, they have no new updates on any of the latest shootings, and they’re asking for everyone to come to the neighborhood watch meetings they host because they want to hear from the community.
The department is expecting a large crowd in the city this summer, and with the vacancies in the department, Crosby says community policing and getting involved is essential to making Myrtle Beach a safer place.
