An old debate over whether Hilton Head Island should have its own police force is back on the table.
Days after a shooting on Coligny Beach injured eight people and sent Fourth of July crowds running for safety, the Hilton Head Island Town Council held a special meeting Thursday to discuss whether the town needs to change its approach to public safety.
Since its establishment in 1983, the town has not had its own police force, instead relying on the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office to patrol areas and respond to crimes. Whether town and county officials are doing enough to prevent crime has long been a source of public debate among island residents…