Council weighs more patrols and possible substation after arrests and local safety concerns

Council members debated public-safety options and budget implications May 4 after reports of drug activity near town apartments and a recent homicide in the area.

Council Member Glenn Odom said he had reported drug activity at apartments near the school, noted two arrests, and said a man who beat Crawford Blackmon to death had been seen walking in town. Odom said residents had expressed alarm and requested more patrols.

Odom described a sheriff’s estimate for increasing coverage — roughly $125,000 to add two deputies (personnel estimate) and about $88,000 for vehicles — but said leasing cars could reduce the vehicle cost to about $25,000 a year. “We need to consider increasing the number of hours that we have patrol in McBee,” he said. Odom urged a budget meeting to explore options including a possible substation.

Council Member A.C. McLeod cautioned that running a full-town police department would be expensive. Charlie Sutton said he was concerned about his wife’s safety and supported stronger patrols. Council members agreed to hold a budget workshop and consider executive-session discussion of personnel and contract options; no vote was taken on creating a town department or on specific spending.

Why it matters: public-safety staffing affects residents’ sense of security, emergency response times and the town budget. Any decision to increase patrols, hire deputies or open a substation would carry ongoing costs and jurisdictional considerations.

Next steps: council members asked staff to place the issue on the budget workshop agenda to review cost estimates and options; no commitment to hire or fund additional deputies was made during the May 4 meeting.