Changes have come to the City of Cayce.

On Oct. 4, Chris Cowan was sworn in as Cayce’s new police chief.

It was the first move toward splitting up the Cayce Department of Public Safety that oversaw both police and fire operations for the last 40 years. New Fire Chief Steve Bullard was sworn in on Oct. 12.

Cowan is confident the change will work out.

“I don’t really see the separation of departments as a challenge as much as I see it as an opportunity,” Cowan told the Chronicle. “We are now focusing our attention and our services on law enforcement. Fire services are focusing on fire. So our focus has changed from being broad, to more narrow.”

Cowan came to Cayce after 29 years with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. He replaced Byron Snellgrove, who retired.

“Cowan’s impeccable professional standards and qualifications made him stand out among the many that applied,” said Cayce City Manager Tracy Hegler.

At Richland County, Cowan served in special operations, crime suppression, community policing and crime prevention units in addition to homeland security and media relations. He is a retired commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and a graduate of Spring Valley High School and the University of South Carolina.

Since being hired, Cowan has made changes, including instituting a Criminal Investigation Services Division.

“It is focusing not only on criminal investigations,” he explained, “but also looking at victim advocacy and also looking at narcotics crimes and gang crimes.”

Cowan emphasized that he is meeting with representatives of Cayce’s diverse neighborhoods to get feedback on how to better serve the public.

“The communities want exceptional law enforcement services and they want community policing,” he said. “That’s the thing that excites me, because that’s my background.”

To attract more citizen input regarding the police, Cowan said the CPD’s Hiring and Promotion Board will include a Cayce resident who volunteers for the slot.

The new chief said he will push cooperation to help serve his jurisdiction.

“I have good relationships with (Lexington County Sheriff) Jay Koon and (West Columbia Police Chief) Marion Boyce,” Cowan offered. “We’re going to work together and very closely.”