LANCASTER, S.C. — The city of Lancaster has hired a permanent chief of police, ending a search that lasted months. Don Roper is a familiar face in our community. He retired from the Mount Holly Department earlier this year and is now leaving retirement to lead the Lancaster Police Department.
The last time Lancaster had a permanent police chief was in 2021. After the former police chief was fired, the department had two interim chiefs. At a news conference on Thursday, Roper said his goal is to build a relationship with his officers and the community.
“My top priority is going to be able to get out, meet folks, let folks get to know me," Roper said. "I want to get to know the department, talk about a little bit about our strengths and weakness, and how we can work together to improve. Those are my first priorities.”
Roper is tasked with bringing stability to a department that hasn't had a permanent police chief in more than a year. The city of Lancaster has also seen a recent spike in gun violence.
According to data shared by the police department, it had 53 shots fired calls in 2020, which dropped to 30 last year, but so far this year there have already been 27. Among them: a teenager was shot while playing basketball and a 20-month-old was shot at an apartment complex.
Gary Robinson with Engaging Men works with youth and said the first step for solutions is better relationships. He said it starts with officers becoming engrained in the communities they serve.
“If you’re in this particular area, being in that area on a more consistent basis and not just coming when there’s an alert for a crime but becoming a part of that neighborhood," Robinson said.
Building strong relationships is a strategy Roper agrees with, saying he’s prioritizing building trust with the people of Lancaster.
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“I think we have to earn a position of trust with the community," Roper said. "Once we have that trust with the community, we have to understand it has to be earned every day."
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.