The Bennettsville Police Department ride-along program is a chance for citizens to see what officers do but in a safe environment where their lives are not put at risk.
Police Chief Kevin Miller said in an interview last summer that he felt like people need to have a window.
 “The best window I can give them is out of the seat of a patrol car. When people understand what the job consists of, I think they will have a better sense of understanding and respect for us.”
I had a chance to do this for four hours on Friday, April 9. During the ride-along, participants are to always remain in the vehicle.

    9-ish 
I met Officer Davis in the lobby of the Bennettsville Public Safety Complex. Davis had started her shift at 6 a.m. and it will run until 6 p.m. 
Each officer is assigned to a zone. Davis patrols in Zone 3, which is from Jennings Street to Gibson Circle.  It is the biggest of the three zones. 

9:20 a.m. bank escort 
One of the first calls we went on was as an escort for a local bank. Money is brought out of the bank and put into the ATM. Officers escort bank employees to make sure nothing happens. As we sat and watched, I talked to Davis about her time in law enforcement.
Davis has been with the department for four years. She had been a cop in the military and once she got out, she transitioned to being a civilian officer.

9:44 a.m. patrol
We patrolled in the areas of East Main Street and Tator House Road to North Cook Street until there was a call for service.
While patrolling, I talked to Davis about her career. She said what drew her to law enforcement was being able to help people and to make an impact especially when it comes to juveniles. 

9:59 pick up order
Officers met to do a pick-up for a voluntary commitment to an area hospital, some can get hostile. Four officers were there to make sure things were okay and the patient was ready for transport. Everything went well.
After the call, Davis talked about how officers are encouraged to walk around downtown. 
“We go into the businesses so they can see our faces and see if they have any concerns or complaints,” she said.
Walk-throughs of businesses are done throughout the day.
Before Covid, they would walk in neighborhoods but COVID restricted how they have contact with people.

10:24 a.m. bank escort
After the escort, Davis went inside the bank to make sure everything was okay.
Davis patrolled in a vehicle with the cruise lights that remain on. It allows them to be noticed so they will not be hard to locate. 

11:10 a.m. service call
Officers were called to the Marlboro Inn about a person possibly cooking meth in their room. This turned out to not be true. 
I asked Davis about some issues police face each day.
“We are human, but we also show them that we are not the bad guys,” Davis said. “We go above and beyond to show that we are here to help regardless of everything that is going on in the world right now. It doesn’t stop us from being police officers. It doesn’t stop us from being helpers. We are servers to the community and that’s what matters first.”

11:30 a.m. traffic stop
Davis stopped a tractor-trailer truck on Broad Street. The camera in her vehicle automatically cuts on when she turns her blue lights on. If going to an emergency call or a traffic stop, the camera and microphone will come on to pick up the audio. Also, her body camera is turned on. Unless they are making a delivery, tractor-trailers cannot come through the city. They will be issued a citation. Otherwise, they must remain outside of the city on the truck route. 

11:40 a.m. walk-through
Davis stopped at the Community Kitchen to talk to volunteers and the persons being served.

11:45 a.m. traffic accident
There was a two-vehicle wreck on Broad Street near the Oyster. No one was hurt. 

Overall, it was a very informative ride-along. For a few hours, I had a chance to see what officers deal with each day. I would highly recommend the ride-along program to anyone. It is a chance to spend a few hours with law enforcement to ask questions and see firsthand what they do.
Lt. Jessie Rogers, administrative lieutenant, said the ride-along program was supposed to have started last summer but was delayed due to COVID-19.
“We didn’t want to put the community at risk or the officers with people riding in close proximity,” he said.
Rogers said it will allow the public to see firsthand what they do.
“I think it is a very important aspect that we are doing breaking the barrier, answering questions, and being transparent,” he said. “I think it is a great program and I am glad we can implement it.
To participate, a person must be at least 18, complete an application and a background check.
The public will be able to ride between 8 a.m.-11 p.m. The ride-along is limited to four hours.
Applications will be available at the upcoming Downtown Market Day on April 24.
Rogers said applications will be available for people to apply to the Citizens Advisory Board.
He added that he hoped participants would come away from the ride-along with a better understanding of what law enforcement does and that they are people.
“We appreciate the community wanting to get involved,” he said.
For more information or to get an application, call Rogers at 843-479-3620, ext. 107 or email him at jessie.rogers@bennettsvillesc.com.