Beginning on October 3^rd, Officers and Dispatchers of the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police, W. Wallace Oswald, began implementing community safety measures in preparation for and in response to the past weekend’s hazardous weather event. On Saturday, October 3^rd, in response to rapidly deteriorating weather conditions form this event, Chief Oswald, in coordination with Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon and other area Chiefs of Police implemented and enforced a town-wide curfew beginning from Saturday at 6:00 PM until ending on Sunday morning at 6:00 AM. This safety effort was implemented as a measure to enhance the safety of the citizens of the Batesburg-Leesville Community due to the increasingly unsafe driving conditions that we were experiencing within the town. In addition, for safety considerations, several streets were closed within the town by Officers of the Police Department, under the direction of Chief Oswald with the assistance of the Batesburg-Leesville Street Department.

Throughout the weekend, Patrol Officers were required to aggressively patrol the Town of Batesburg-Leesville during the weather emergency for roadway conditions that had deteriorated, placing the motoring public in danger due to flooding or the potential for flooding. Patrol Officers were additionally patrolling for trees, limbs, or other debris that may have been present on the roadways. Officers were additionally subjected to the weather conditions themselves as they secured roadways using barricades where needed in order to prevent motorists from becoming a victim of the weather emergency. Additionally, just as the Patrol Officers had done, Batesburg-Leesville Police Department Dispatchers worked tirelessly throughout the weekend providing information to the Batesburg-Leesville Citizens and directing requests for emergency services to Patrol Officers. Chief Oswald personally led and assisted Batesburg-Leesville Officers and Dispatchers during their patrolling and communication efforts. Furthermore, Chief Oswald stated that the Batesburg-Leesville Street Department worked tirelessly to ensure that barricades were placed in these hazardous roadways to prevent access to unaware motorists. The Street Department and Fire Department also worked to ensure that the roadways were clear of debris, by cutting up fallen trees and removing fallen tree limbs.      

Chief of Police W. Wallace Oswald wishes to personally thank the business owners and business employees within the Town of Batesburg-Leesville, as well as the citizens of the Batesburg-Leesville Community with cooperating with law enforcement during this weather related event. The personal sacrifices that were required from all members of the community, as well as from Patrol Officers and Dispatchers of the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department, Batesburg-Leesville Street Department employees and Firemen of the Batesburg-Leesville Fire Department did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated by Chief Oswald. We are blessed to live and work in a community such as Batesburg-Leesville where all members of the community are so willing to pull together and support one another during a hazardous event in order to keep everyone safe.