Chief Herbert Blake introduced as City of Cayce’s new police chief
CAYCE, SC (WOLO) — Taking the helm for the City of Cayce’s Police Department is Chief Herbert Blake, after the city’s former Police Chief, Chris Cowan, stepped down in July to take a position with the University of South Carolina’s School of Law.
“I look forward to trying to improve on all the accomplishments my predecessors have accomplished. I want to make sure I am more of a teacher and a counselor. I want to empower, encourage, elevate — and I want us to over-communicate as much as we can with other city departments, but also with the community and with each other,” said Blake at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Blake says he is bringing over 20 years of experience to the table, having most recently served as the Chief Deputy of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in Asheville, NC.
Prior to that, Blake was also the Police Chief of the Hendersonville and Loris Police Departments — starting his career as an officer for the Town of Ridgeland.
“One of the things I’d like to do when we’re done meeting with staff and community members is, I’d like to have listening sessions in each district with each district councilman, to hear from citizens in those communities what those concerns are, and what we need to prioritize as we move forward in protecting the city,” Blake says.
“Chief Herbert came in with his wife, and we had coffee at piecewise and rode them around the city. You could tell he has a true servant’s heart and he just wants to serve our community. You can tell how humble he is; he wants to take his troops underneath his wing and he wants to teach them and show them,” says Jim Crosland, Cayce’s Interim City Manager.
Blake and his wife Linda have two children and five grandchildren together, who attend schools throughout Richland County.
“It’s an absolute pleasure to be in a city of this size and proximity, with the goals and objectives that I think is going to move this community forward in a very positive way,” he says.
