The new Laurens Chief of Police says he’s “coming home.” Laurens Mayor Sharon Brownlee announced late Friday afternoon the appointment of Socrates “Sonny” Ledda as the new Chief of the Laurens Police Department.
Ledda served for 13 years as a public safety officer for the City of Clinton until his appointment last December as the Chief of Police in Bishopville, South Carolina. He told WLBG over the weekend he was very grateful for the opportunity in Bishopville but he said Laurens County was home. “The door just opened for me and it was a great chance to come back to my home and I took it.”
Mayor Brownlee said she knew that Chief Ledda had just recently become Chief in Bishopville but she felt that he was the perfect fit for the Laurens Police Department. She said “You don’t pass up the perfect fit.”
Sonny Ledda is a veteran of Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm having served in the United States Army for 8 years. He is a Graduate of the College of Charleston in 1997, plus a graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, the South Carolina Fire Academy, the FBI Command College, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and many other FBI Leadership Training Courses.
Mayor Brownlee also had high praise for Chrissie Cofield who served as interim Chief after the departure of long time chief Robin Morse. Chief Sonny Ledda agreed, saying
“Chrissie Cofield had done an outstanding job in the interim. She has a great core of dedicated officers, law enforcement professionals, and we’re just going to continue the great job that the police department has been doing for the City of Laurens.”
Mayor Brownlee also announced that Interim Police Chief Chrissie Cofield has been appointed to a new position as the Assistant Chief of Police. She previously served as Captain of the Police Department and has a 13 year career with the department. Assistant Chief Cofield is a graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and most recently is a 2011 graduate of Lander University with a B.S. Degree with emphasis in Criminal Justice Management. She is currently pursuing a Master of Criminal Justice Management Degree from Anderson University. She served in the United States Army and the United States Army Reserve.
WLBG this weekend asked Chief Sonny Ledda when he will assume command of the Laurens Police Department. “My last day in Bishopville is going to be May 24th and then we’re going to hit the ground running on the 28th.”
Mayor Brownlee said Chief Ledda and Assistant Chief Cofield are proven criminal justice professionals that will continue the growth and technological advances made by the City of Laurens Police Department.