Manning Police Chief Blair Shaffer fired

City's Public Safety Committee appoints retired highway patrol captain as interim chief

Posted

The police chief for the City of Manning has been fired.

An announcement of the decision was released Thursday afternoon, in which Manning Mayor Julia Nelson said the Public Safety Committee “voted to terminate” Chief Blair Shaffer, effective immediately.

“While this decision was a difficult one, the committee believes that it is in the best interests of the city to seek new leadership to fill this important role,” Nelson said in her statement.

She wrote that the safety of “our residents, guests and community is of utmost importance.”

The decision came following an evaluation of Manning’s public safety programs, according to the statement.

The committee will begin its search for a new city police chief “as soon as possible and will provide updates regarding that process as appropriate.”

Until the position is filled, the committee has appointed Keith Grice, a retired captain from the South Carolina Highway Patrol, as interim chief of police to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Manning Police Department.

“As this is a personnel matter,” Nelson said, “neither the committee nor the [city] council will comment further at this time.”

This is a developing story. Stay tuned at TheItem.com for updates as they become available.