Ray Manley will soon turn in his badge, sidearm and other equipment when he retires as chief of Lander University's Police Department, signaling an end to a collegiate law enforcement career spanning more than 30 years.
He joined the Lander police department after 23 years with the Greenwood Police Department where he began as a patrolman and rose through the ranks to the position of assistant chief and acting chief in the final year of his service.
Manley began his police work at Lander on a part-time basis in 1976, then he accepted a full-time position after retiring as a Greenwood police officer. He was named chief in 2002 and, for the next 11 years, he would supervise Lander's police department and its complement of 13 officers, nine residence hall monitors, eight dispatchers and six bus drivers.
He said Lander's police department is like that of a small town police department, operating around the clock, seven days a week. Officers have arrest powers and, before they are hired, they complete 13 weeks of training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.
Manley, a native of Abbeville, and his wife, Polly, live in Greenwood. He said his only plan after he retires on June 30 is to keep his options open.
Manley's successor as Lander's police chief is Eddie Briggs, a familiar face on campus, who has served as assistant chief for the past five years. Before joining the Lander police department in 2004, Briggs, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, was a Greenwood police officer, holding positions as a lieutenant, a detective and training officer.