Latta Town Council Votes To Allow Police Chief To Take On Code Enforcement Duties

By Betsy Finklea
A new initiative to help reduce crime and to improve code enforcement is in the making in the Town of Latta.
At their last meeting, the Latta Town Council voted to allow Latta Police Chief Allan Rogers take on the code enforcement duties for the Town of Latta. He will not be doing building inspections, but he will be enforcing the other codes on the books.
The town previously contracted with Dillon County to provide code enforcement services; however, the county does not have a code enforcement officer at the present time and is contracting out those services. In years prior to their arrangement with the county, the Town of Latta had their own code enforcement officer.
“As Police Chief of Latta, I have accepted the responsibility for overseeing code enforcement for the town,” said Rogers. “I am committed to ensuring that our local codes are upheld fairly and consistently.”
He continued, “By strengthening code enforcement, my goal is to help maintain clean, well-kept neighborhoods and create a safer, healthier community for all of Latta’s residents.”
One particular issue that will be addressed is abandoned homes and the activity that is occurring at some of them.
Abandoned homes often cause negative activity in a community leading to crimes such as drug activity, squatting by the unhoused, vandalism, and more, making residents in the neighborhood feel unsafe and ultimately decreasing property values in and image of the area.
After checking and confirming that Rogers is qualified to fill this role based on his numerous years of law enforcement experience, Rogers is now waiting for council to give him the go-ahead to begin enforcement.