Chief Proposes Department Overhaul

Mount Pleasant’s police chief is proposing big changes to how his department operates, and it could mean a wave of promotions and additional top brass inside the 145-officer agency.

Chief Harry Sewell on Monday presented town councilmen with a new organizational chart that brings on two police majors and eliminates a police captain. For at least 20 years, the agency has functioned with a chief, one major and three captains.

Sewell says the town’s population growth, and a near tripling in officers over the last two decades, presents the need for management changes.

In addition to changes at the top, the plan also calls for the town’s uniformed officers to be divided into north and south zones. One major will oversee all the agency’s on-the-ground, day-to-day police work. One captain and four lieutenants – two per zone — will work under this individual.

The second major added to the rolls will oversee support services. This person will supervise the bulk of the department’s 44 civilian employees. One captain will report to the major of support services under Sewell’s new plan.

While officers currently work in regions, often divided by geographic and traffic barriers, adding the two zones is a big change meant to add consistent leadership all across the town, Sewell said.

The proposed changes come at a time when the agency’s No. 2 command position is vacant. Major Frank Riccio retired in March following a DUI arrest.

Sewell said his desire to add an additional major to the rolls predates Riccio’s resignation, but the No. 2 officer’s absence highlights the need, he said.

“It’s very hard being in the position at the top … and you have just one person to lean on,” Sewell said. “When that person is gone, it’s very taxing.”

The chief says the changes won’t impact the police department’s budget since he plans to promote from within current ranks, and the plan could bolster morale.

“This plan will also allow numerous promotions within the agency, giving us fresh leadership opportunities and upper mobility, which is always healthy for an agency,” Sewell wrote.

The chief wanted to implement the plan immediately, but the council committee on Monday had some reservations and wanted more time to study the proposal, specifically how the north-south zones will impact policing.

“I’ll leave the policing to you … but I just got this plan on Friday, so I would like to see an organizational chart,” said Mayor Billy Swails. “I’d like to see more about how it works.”

Swails asked Councilwoman Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, a retired NYPD homicide detective, to study the plan with Sewell and report back. Stokes-Marshall said she was also interested in learning more about the zones, and specifically whether an east-west zone made sense.

In an aside, Swails said if the chief had financial needs in his department, he shouldn’t be afraid to present requests, though Sewell wasn’t asking for any changes to his budget at the Monday meeting.

“If you need 40 majors, we are not broke,” Swails said. “All you have to do is ask.”

The proposed restructuring could come up for consideration at town council’s meeting June 12.