Thompson to remain Greenville Police Chief while new city manager transitions into role

Kathryn Casteel, Greenville News
Updated ·1 min read

Greenville Police Chief J.H. “Howie” Thompson will postpone his retirement while the newly appointed city manager, Shannon Lavrin, transitions into her new role.

Chief Thompson was set to retire June 30, according to an announcement last month.

"I asked him to stay because he is a trusted advisor who will bring stability to the organization and our public safety leadership team as I transition into my new role," Lavrin said in a statement provided by city.

Lavrin was appointed to city manager Monday, the first woman to hold the position permanently. The appointment came shortly after John McDonough's recent resignation.

The announcement about Thompson's decision to stay with the Greenville Police Department noted his knowledge and input on various projects Lavrin is inheriting from McDonough including the sale of City Hall, construction of a new Public Safety Campus on Halton Road and the implementation of the new zoning code.

Upstate law enforcement officers and community leaders and elected officials held an open meeting to talk about understanding each others points of view. The meeting was held at the Mt. Pleasant Community Center in Greenville on March 30, 2023. Greenville Chief of Police J. H. Thompson spoke at the meeting.
Upstate law enforcement officers and community leaders and elected officials held an open meeting to talk about understanding each others points of view. The meeting was held at the Mt. Pleasant Community Center in Greenville on March 30, 2023. Greenville Chief of Police J. H. Thompson spoke at the meeting.

"Howie’s input and support on those projects and others is critical, as is maintaining constancy within GPD at this time. I'm thankful for his willingness to continue to serve the City and the community," Lavrin said, according to the statement.

Chief Thompson was appointed to the Greenville Police Department top cop in Oct. 2020 after serving as the interim chief since 2019 following the resignation of former chief, Ken Miller.

Thompson began his career with the Mauldin Police Department and spent the last 26 years with GPD. He held several positions within the department, including SWAT team commander, vice & narcotics detective and field training officer.

“I’ve had a great career, I’ve done everything I wanted to do,” Thompson said in a previous statement about his retirement.

Kathryn Casteel is an investigative reporter with The Greenville News and can be reached at KCasteel@gannett.com or on Twitter @kathryncasteel

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Howie Thompson to remain Greenville Police Chief for new city manager