TIMMONSVILLE -- One week ago, the Florence County Sheriff's Office had to take over patrolling Timmonsville, after the town's council fired its police department last Friday to save money.
"Whatever it takes to make sure these citizens are safe, we're gonna do it," said Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone.
In the past seven days, sheriff's deputies have responded to 29 calls in Timmonsville, according to Boone. The calls include vandalisms, breakins, domestic situations and forgeries.
The additional workload affects more than just the deputies on the streets, said Boone.
"It starts when that incident report is filed obviously when the deputy responds. It will impact our records division on filing additional reports. There were several thousand incident reports within a year's period of time within the Timmonsville Police Department, and that's just an additional burden that's going to affect us and our budget."
Some Timmonsvile residents question how the town ended up in such bad shape financially.
"I think SLED needs to step in. Step up to the plate and see what's going on - let these people answer for what they've done wrong," said Joe Whitaker.
The State Law Enforcement Division does have at least three ongoing investigations involving Timmonsville town government.
So, it may take time before residents get any answers.
