Horry County officials want SLED review of police

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) — Horry County Council wants the State Law Enforcement Division to review operations at the county police department evidence room.

The committee voted Tuesday to ask SLED to audit the operations to clear questions raised in an anonymous letter received in August. Horry County’s legislative delegation also has asked SLED to review the allegations.

Police Chief Johnny Morgan and crime scene supervisor Pete Cestare say internal checks of the nearly 90,000 pieces of evidence are enough to refute the allegations in the anonymous letter.

Cestare says no one is ever alone in the evidence room.

But Councilman Harold Worley says the anonymous letter has created a cloud over the police department, the prosecutor’s office and county council.