Fact check: Does the Myrtle Beach Police Department have dozens of vacancies?

Myrtle Beach’s eight city council candidates have divergent views on several big issues — from the future of downtown development to the need for affordable housing.

But to a person, they agree on one thing: South Carolina’s most popular tourism draw needs more police officers.

Currently, the agency is 57 officers short of the 279 budgeted in the city’s 2023-24 spending plan, Cpl. Christopher Starling told The Sun News Oct. 24.

In 2022, the city’s police department fielded 115,000 service calls and made $150,000 worth of seizures, according to internal crime data.

“I would like to take a look at why we cannot fill the positions with the resources needed so they can do their job effectively. These men and women are doing the best they can, with the resources available, to keep residents and visitors safe,” city council candidate Stuart Behar said last week in response to a Sun News candidate questionnaire. “I do see lack of officers as our major problem which in turn leads to less protection on the street and raising our crime rate.”

Violent crimes have also dropped by nearly a quarter between 2018 and 2022 — from 4,002 a year to 2,985.

“The city is understaffed with the police department and is basically in the position of hiring anyone who can meet the qualifications. Diversity should be a consideration, but maintaining a sufficient level of officers to adequately police the city must come first,” council candidate and downtown business owner Myra Starnes told The Sun News last week.

Randal Wallace, who previously serve on the city council from 2002 through 2018, said leaders can help keep police close to home by subsidizing rents in higher crime areas.

“With 50 to 70 positions not filled we need to be finding qualified, trained, law enforcement professionals of all kinds to fill the positions,” Wallace said. “We need more community policing, and I want to see us helping the officers willing to move into our more troubled neighborhoods.”

In a departmental overview attached to the city’s budget, agency leaders pointed to several difficulties when it comes to staffing.

We continue to be challenged with the delivery of services for all crime types to reduce Part I crimes, specifically larceny as this relates to the opioid and heroin epidemic,” officials said. ... The need for staffing continues to be a challenge. The retirement of several employees and upcoming retirements continues to bring changes within our structure and leadership. We are also challenged with the quality/quantity of applicants.”

Chief Amy Prock presided over an Oct. 21 swearing-in ceremony that added six officers to the department’s ranks.

“There are many reasons why someone chooses to pursue this profession. But by far the one I hear the most is they want to make a difference in a community. Our community, Myrtle Beach,” Prock said in remarks carried on the department’s YouTube channel. “It is a notable desire but as with many things, worth doing, this job comes with a great risk.”

City police officers saw a 5% pay bump with the onset of the July 1 fiscal year, pushing starting wages to $52,647 for certified officers and $50,139 for recruits.

That’s in addition to a suite of other perks offered by the department, including:

• Relocation incentives

• Three-day weekends every other week for patrol officers

• Ten paid holidays and 96 paid vacation and sick hours annually

• Tuition reimbursement

• Free health insurance

• Enrollment in the state Police Officer Retirement System

• No out-of-pocket expenses for equipment or uniforms

“Our department offers many ways for our teammates to stay and develop their careers,” Starling said.

Incumbent John Krajc said he’ll continue to support investments to strengthen the city’s public safety force should he be re-elected.

“In the past four years since I took office, violent crime is down over 41% in our city. In 2022, I voted to increase starting pay for certified police officers to the highest in the state at the time. In the last four years, we have budgeted for over 30 new police officers, enhanced equipment for the real time crime unit, and continue to have the bulk of our budget go toward public safety,” he said.