PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — Pickens County Sheriff Tommy Blankenship voiced concerns about a “compensation crisis” and staffing shortages within his agency during a Pickens County Council meeting on Monday night.
Sheriff Blankenship stated his office is facing difficulties with inadequate equipment and an insufficient number of officers, issues he claims have persisted for nine budget cycles.
The sheriff’s concerns center on the operational capabilities of his office and the financial well-being of his deputies, who he says are struggling with personal expenses. In response, Council member Alex Saitta noted that the sheriff’s department operates with a $21.3 million budget and that Sheriff Blankenship has the autonomy to allocate these funds as he sees fit…