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Roanoke Rapids has a new police chief who City Manager Kelly Traynham said expects to be onboard in March.

In a statement today, Traynham said that Lawrence Wggins, the current police chief of the Allendale, South Carolina Police Department has been named as the city’s new law enforcement leader after Shane Guyant stepped down last month to tend to family obligations.

Traynham in the statement described Wiggins as a resolute law enforcement professional with 22 years of law enforcement experience.

This morning the city manager said Wiggins was selected after a nationwide recruitment effort that brought in 20 applicants that were whittled down to three finalists.

“Those results that were provided to us from Developmental Associates — they really learned a lot about each of the candidates to the point they were very well vetted,” she said. “When we interviewed Chief Wiggins I knew right from the beginning he was our guy.”

In the gallery: Wiggins from the chief's LinkedIn profile and used with permission

Wiggins had studied the area before his interview and during the process was naming landmarks, Traynham said. “He did his due diligence to make a big decision to move here and relocate. I think he’ll be a good communicator and good problem solver. I think he’ll maintain the continuity and the positive work that happened under Chief Guyant’s leadership. He’ll be able to maintain that and carry that forward, especially with a young department.”

Wiggins will become the first full time African American chief in the city. 

The city manager said, “He seems to have a lot of experience in going into communities and building trust and getting to know people. I really do hope he is accepted by the community and our department. He has some big shoes to fill but he represents the diverse community we have here.”

Wiggins, who could not be reached for comment today, is expected to start March 10, Traynham said.

Wiggins began his career in the United States Army as a military police soldier stationed in Augusta, Georgia at Fort Gordon. He was a military police investigator and an Army recruiter in the Central Savannah River Area. 

After serving in the Army, he transitioned to civilian law enforcement with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office. There he held multiple positions including a criminal investigator, narcotics investigator, and SWAT team member.

In 2015, Wiggins began working with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, also known as SLED. 

At SLED, he was a criminal investigator regional agent and was on the SLED Maritime Team. While at SLED, Wiggins investigated countless homicides, violent crimes, sexual assaults, in-custody deaths, and law enforcement use of force cases. 

In May of 2022, Wiggins was sworn in as the chief of the Allendale Police Department. 

During his tenure, Wiggins led a department that significantly reduced homicides in 2024 compared to the previous year with no deaths due to gun violence; oversaw the acquisition and deployment of various forms of technology to augment law enforcement efforts; instituted the annual National Night Out for the department; and conceptualized and partnered with the University of South Carolina at Salkehatchie to develop a forensic science lab to aid local law enforcement scheduled to be unveiled today.

He holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice with a concentration in forensic psychology and a master of science in criminal justice with a concentration in criminal law. 

He is currently pursuing a doctorate in public administration and is a graduate of the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Executive Leadership Initiative at the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, University of South Carolina.

Wiggins is married with three children. 

When he is not at work Wiggins engages in youth soccer and his local church. 

Traynham said Wiggins believes in the motto: Always seek justice, pursue peace, and love righteousness.