Surfside Beach police chief resigns, blames ‘rumors being used to attack me’
SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Surfside Beach Police Chief Kenneth Hofmann announced his resignation Tuesday in a letter that blamed “rumors that are being used to attack me and my administration of the police department.”
A spokesperson for the town told News13 late Tuesday afternoon that Administrator Gerald Vincent was aware of Hofmann’s resignation but did not provide any additional information. Mayor Robert Krouse also confirmed the resignation.
ChiefHofmannResignationLetterDownload
“After much consideration and with a heavy heart, I must resign from the position of chief of police for the town of Surfside Beach,” Hofmann said in the letter. “This decision was a difficult one, having spent over 16 of my 26 years in law enforcement proudly serving the citizens and visitors of Surfside Beach.”
Vincent issued a three-sentence statement on Wednesday.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure working with Chief Hofmann. I appreciate his professionalism, work ethic, contributions, and dedication to making Surfside Beach a safer community,” Vincent said. “Thank you for your 16 years of service to the town of Surfside Beach, and I wish you the best of luck.”
Hofmann’s departure comes on the heels of a vote by the town council last week to launch an inquiry into the turnover in the town’s police force. Council members took the vote after an executive session.
“Rumors have swirled in social media for some time and comments were made in a council meeting,” Mayor Robert Krouse said in the newsletter after the meeting. “I am a proponent of free speech and want absolutely no censorship in any form. But with that said, there is also a personal ethical responsibility each of us has, to get the facts right and to consider the impact on individuals when offering opinions.”
Hofmann blamed “certain” members of the town council and town officials for the “mishandling” of the rumors.
“Unfortunately, the malicious acts of a few have created rumors that are being used to attack me and my administration of the police department,” his letter reads. “The mishandling of these acts and rumors at their onset and continuing today, by certain members of the town council and certain town officials, has resulted in the publishing of untrue and damaging misinformation about me.”
Hofmann said the mishandling has “tarnished” his professional reputation. His final day as police chief will be May 3.
Hofmann has worked with the town since 2007. He was hired as the town’s interim police chief in February 2017 to replace Rodney Keziah, who resigned. He has worked for the department on and off since 1996.
As of late Tuesday afternoon, Hofmann’s photo remained on the town’s website and there was no posting for the job of police chief.
Hofmann’s full resignation letter is at the bottom of this story. News13 has filed a public records request for all communication between Hofmann and Vincent related to his resignation.
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This is a developing story. Count on News13 for updates.
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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work, here.
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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Dennis Bright is a Digital Producer at News13. He joined the team in May 2021. Dennis is a West Virginia native and a graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Follow Dennis on, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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