Small town in South Carolina loses entire police force

PINE RIDGE, S.C. (AP) — Pine Ridge is without a police force after its fourth chief in three years stepped down more than a month ago.

Pine Ridge in Lexington County has also lost five police officers during that same time span, leaving no one to patrol the town of 2,000 people.

Interim Police Chief Vincent Silano resigned on Oct. 13.

The State newspaper reported Silano’s resignation letter said Mayor Robert Wells constantly meddles in police matters and micromanages the department.

Wells says as a town official he does have opinions on how the police department should be run.