Moncks Corner police chief on probation for ‘substandard work performance’

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. (WCSC) - The man in charge of a law enforcement agency in Berkeley County is back at work after being suspended for two weeks, but newly released records indicate that he is not yet in the clear.

Moncks Corner Police Chief Rick Ollic was given a disciplinary form from Town Administrator Jeffrey Lord on Jun. 17 that accused the chief of “substandard work performance.”

The document alleged a “failure to properly supervise subordinates” and called for a two-week unpaid suspension along with six months of probation.

“Failure to meet performance goals established by [the] Town Administrator will result in termination,” the form states.

When asked for additional details regarding what Ollic’s probation entails and what Lord’s performance goals are, Moncks Corner Public Information Officer Molly Willard said that they are “matters of personnel and not privy to further discussion.”

Ollic’s suspension ended on Jul. 6. He has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding his absence from work.

A South Carolina Law Enforcement Division spokesperson said that SLED does not have an open investigation regarding Ollic.

Over the last month, SLED arrested former Moncks Corner School Resource Officer Zedrick Smalls on charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor and former Moncks Corner Police Department Cpl. Randall Scott for allegedly taking money in exchange for dismissing traffic tickets.

When asked for all written communications between Ollic and Smalls over the last two years, Lord said that “no such documents exist.”

In Ollic’s most recent annual evaluation, Lord gave Ollic a three out of five for overall performance.

“I have great trust and confidence in you,” Lord wrote in part at the time. “Even though there are going to be times you see different priorities, we need to be on the same page.”

Ollic’s 2018 evaluation from Lord said that the chief was “still slow to resolve” employee disciplinary actions.

Ollic’s personnel records show that his starting salary at the Moncks Corner Police Department in 2016 was $66,246, but has increased by more than $50,000 in the years since. As of March 2021, his new annual salary was listed as $109,447.52.

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