Chester police chief resigns to take schools security post

Chester Police Chief Andre Williams abruptly resigned Wednesday, with his four-year run as chief set to end in less than two weeks.

Williams told Mayor George Caldwell and the city’s human resources department that he was resigning, city administrator Sandi Worthy said.

He gave no reason, but Worthy said she has been told by other sources – not by Williams himself – that he is taking a newly created position as chief of security for Chester County Schools.

At his office Wednesday at the Chester County law enforcement center, Williams declined to give The Herald any more information about reasons for his resignation or future plans. Keisha Tobias, spokeswoman for the Chester Police Department, said she had no comment on Williams’ status and that Williams would give no comment.

A schools spokeswoman declined to comment, and other school officials could not be reached about the creation of a new position to work with a private company that now handles security at all county schools.

School board member Laurens Fort of Great Falls confirmed that the district hired Williams.

“In all my dealings with the chief,” he said, “he has been a very good man, and we are fortunate to get him.”

When the school district advertised the security position, Fort said, the salary was listed as $38,000 per year, and more than 50 people applied. Although he was not part of the interview process, Fort said, other candidates besides Williams were interviewed.

Williams was paid $55,500 a year as police chief.

Chester County Sheriff Alex Underwood, who has worked closely with Williams in the past, declined to comment on Williams’ new job. He said he had not spoken to Williams.

When Williams was hired as police chief in July 2011, he was a detective with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office. He has faced opposition several times from Chester City Council members, including attempts to have him fired earlier this year and other problems over his dealing with Chester residents.

In December, Carlos Williams – who since has been elected to the Chester City Council – demanded that Andre Williams be fired for his handling of a traffic stop involving Carlos Williams’ sons. Carlos Williams, who is not related to the police chief, has not called for the firing since he was elected to City Council.

An attempt to fire Williams earlier this year came up in a City Council meeting but never made it to a vote.

Williams clashed with several City Council members, including the late Odell Williams, a former police officer who also was not related to Carlos Williams. Odell Williams was charged with threatening a public official after an incident in a bathroom with Chief Williams early in 2014. Odell Williams was killed in an unrelated incident.

But others, including former Mayor Wanda Stringfellow, publicly supported Andre Williams repeatedly for his efforts to thwart violent crime and gangs that have caused problems in the city. Williams often went into the field with his officers, especially at night and responding to serious crimes, including a murder-suicide in downtown Chester late last year.

Mayor George Caldwell said Williams gave proper notice and was leaving on good terms.

“I thought he did a good job,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said it was too early to discuss whether Williams’ successor would be picked from within the ranks of the police department.

Chester City Council member Annie Reid, chairwoman of the council’s public safety committee, said Williams performed admirably as chief.

“I didn’t have any problems with him or his performance as chief,” Reid said.

Reid said she would prefer that the city look at hiring someone from outside the department as the next chief, as the department has several new officers. The department has 27 officers total.

Williams’ resignation came on the first day that Defender Services, a Columbia company, took over responsibility for security at all Chester County schools. In a controversial decision in April, the school district dropped four deputies working as school resource officers in favor of hiring 10 private security officers, one for each school building.

Despite his two decades of law enforcement experience, Williams will not be a certified police officer in his role as the schools’ security chief.

The City Council, which next meets July 13, likely will appoint an interim police chief from within the department, Worthy said.

In 2011, the last time there was an opening for police chief, Maj. Gene Gilmore was named interim chief. He retired several weeks ago.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 12:44 PM with the headline "Chester police chief resigns to take schools security post."