Police

The Laurens Police Department is a full-service police department that prides itself on its strong partnership with the community. Through the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the police department, and the support of our council members and the community, Laurens continues to be a safe community in which to live and work.

Values: The Laurens Police Department focuses its efforts on providing high service levels, which not only meet, but also exceed expectations of safety services. The next few years will be a time of significant change in both the city and the police department. Growth in population, new technology, and commercial development create challenges and opportunities alike. We are proud of the contributions that the police department has made to the quality of life that Laurens citizens enjoy. We are excited about the future and look forward to working with all of you to ensure the best for our community.

In Doing So: We protect the rights of all persons. We strive to treat every person with respect, dignity and compassion. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and professional standards of conduct. We are committed to personal integrity, common purpose, and support of each other as essential to an effective and productive work environment. We provide leadership in our profession as an example for all law enforcement and to guarantee the best possible services to our citizens.

The Patrol Division: Responsible for the uniformed patrol functions of the department including 24-hour response to the initial investigation of crimes and incidents, traffic enforcement and control, accident investigation, community policing programs, and crime prevention functions.

Uniform Division: Uniform Division officers make up the largest and most visible group within the police department. These officers wear uniforms and drive the marked police cars. Most Uniform Division officers are assigned to patrol duties wherein they respond to either observed or citizens’ calls for crimes in progress, traffic problems and accidents, disturbances, domestic violence, burglaries, robberies, auto thefts, assaults, etc., arresting suspects and writing investigative reports. In addition to handling crimes and calls for police service, patrol officers enforce traffic laws, do crime preventive patrol, assist motorist and, in general, serve and protect the citizens and visitors of Laurens.

Traffic Enforcement: The primary purpose of traffic enforcement is to reduce accidents, save lives, and facilitate the safe and efficient movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic throughout the City. Traffic problems, including congestion, aggressive drivers, and speeding through neighborhoods, consistently ranks among the top 5 police-related concerns of Laurens residents in surveys conducted by the Laurens Police Department.

School Officer Resource Program: The School Officer Resource Program consists of two full-time police officers. One officer is assigned to Laurens Middle School and one is assigned to Sanders Middle School. Both officers are located within Laurens District 55. The goal of personnel working as School Resource Officers is to foster a positive image of Police Officers among young people, provide education and counseling to students on law enforcement topics, and provide security and maintain peace on school property.