Due to resignations, the McColl Police Department no longer has any officers; City council responds to outgoing chief’s comments

MCCOLL, SC (WBTW) – The city of McColl is embroiled in controversy after the entire police force announced their resignations.

Mayor George Garner confirmed the resignations Thursday. Among those leaving the company is Chief Bob Hale, who was hired in June 2023 and said in a Facebook post Thursday that he wanted to leave “quietly” and with “minimal attention.”

“However, I realized that I would be doing every citizen and future employee a great disservice if I did not speak truthfully about our departures,” Hale said. “I would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers during my tenure at McColl. Please continue to pray for me and my colleagues, but more importantly, pray for one of the most underappreciated and special places in the entire state. Thank you for everything, McColl.”

Hale said in his post that his decision to resign was the result of “repeated harassment” and “personal attacks” on his character. He referred to “the general creation of a hostile work environment by a particular councilman” and added that he had “experienced unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership.”

In his post, Hale also said that “upon arriving in elected office, this same City Council cut a significant amount of money from our already depleted budget.” He said he had repeatedly asked in vain for funds to “modernize equipment, improve training and increase staffing levels.”

“This lack of investment impacted our ability to meet the standards that the citizens of the City of McColl rightly expect and deserve,” he said in the post. “The safety of residents and the well-being of officers should have been prioritized by providing the necessary resources to build a department capable of handling the complexities of 21st century policing.” Unfortunately, this was not the case Case and I have spent the majority of my tenure as police chief clearing the names of my officers and myself from the numerous falsehoods that have been made against us.”

When asked if the resignations had anything to do with pay, Garner said he believes the department has the highest-paid certified officers in Marlboro County, working for $20 an hour.

News13 attempted to contact all city council members – including Brian Blue, Ronna Kubas, Jody Stubbs, Clayton Cummings and David Garner – but was only able to speak with Harry Benjamin, who said he was “shocked like everyone else” about the departures.

Benjamin told News13 he doesn’t know what led to the resignations. He said he read Hale’s Facebook post but did not know which council member Hale was referring to in his post. He also said a statement Hale sent to the city did not contain many of the details contained in Hale’s Facebook.

Responding to Hale’s comments on the budget, Benjamin said the city council as a whole makes decisions, not one individual council member making decisions. He added that he wished Hale all the best.

As for the future of the McColl Police Department, Garner said he has already received a few applications for the police chief position. In the meantime, he said, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office is committed to helping supply the city, although the sheriff’s office is also suffering from staffing shortages.

Garner said he believes the issue will lead to longer response times for calls in the city. He said he has contacted the city of Bennettsville for help, but the two communities have not currently reached an agreement and the city council must approve the request.

Garner said he also reached out to the South Carolina Department of Law Enforcement to see if they could help until McColl had his department fully staffed again. He also said he hopes things return to normal once Larry McNeil returns as Marlboro County sheriff in January.

Newly elected State Senator JD Chaplin also commented on the situation in a statement to News13.

“As a newly elected senator, we will work with the county sheriff’s office to ensure that every citizen and their property are safe and secure while this situation is resolved,” he said.

This is not the first time that McColl has had problems with staffing at his police department. In May, a former police captain was charged with misconduct, assault and battery. Previously, the police chief at the time resigned, citing a hostile work environment allegedly caused by Garner.