South Central Reporter

Greenville Chief of Police Stefan Neece recently went over some of the changes to law enforcement that the SAFE-T Act created, which will go into effect on Jan. 1.

"The SAFE-T Act has been a hot topic recently because of the really big change coming to our criminal justice system in January of 2023 and that's with the elimination of cash bail," Neece said at the meeting.

During the Nov. 8 Greenville city council meeting, Neece discussed some of the changes the department has experienced including keeping all misconduct files permanently, such as complaints, investigations, death in custody and wrongful custody. There are additional monthly reports for when police respond or deal with incidents involving mental health. New reports on various levels of use of force are required, along with stricter rules about what types of force are allowed when.

There were also changes in the process and requirements for decertification of a police officer. Previously, an officer had to be convicted of a certain crime, and now it has become more discretionary and inclusive of wrongful practices on the job. There were also increased requirements for training for police officers including cultural awareness and scenarios.

Neece also addressed some of the big topics that would be in effect Jan. 1, 2023. He explained the new procedure for issuing citations instead of arrests for violations like trespassing or other nonviolent misdemeanors. The other one was the bail reform, which includes the elimination of cash bail. This change will mean that unless the judge can determine that an individual is truly violent and a threat and at risk of flight, they will be released before their trial.