Smith, Filyaw and Springs are three of Lake City’s finest

Lt. Calvin Smith, Sgt. Charles Filyaw and Patrol Fran Springs all work for the Lake City Police Department.
Lt. Calvin Smith has worked in the Lake City Police Department for 26 years and it is the only police department he has worked in.
After graduating from Lake City High School in 1980, he worked at a department store, but often times officers he was friends with would come into the store to persuade him to go into law enforcement.
He finally decided on being a police officer and graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 1983.
Smith has been assigned to Florence County School District Three since 2000 as a school resource officer working with Ronald E. McNair Middle School and J. Paul Truluck Middle School.
Before his present position, Smith was an investigator and also served as a shift supervisor for the patrol department for the Lake City Police.
Smith said helping people is what he likes most about working on the Lake City Police force.
“You have to know a little bit about everything,” Smith said thinking back to his years in law enforcement.
Smith, who describes himself as being respectful, said he doesn’t desire to advance to a higher position in law enforcement and is happy with his present job.
“I absolutely love working with the kids,” Smith said.
Smith and his wife, have two sons and and two daughters.
Sgt. Charles Filyaw has worked in the Lake City Police Department since August 1989 and has been in law enforcement for 19 years.
Filyaw was a farmer all his life and deep down inside, he said he always wanted to be a police officer.
Filyaw, a native of Cades, graduated from high school in 1972 and graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 1990.
“I enjoy helping people in the community,” Filyaw said is what he likes most about his job. “There are some good people in Lake City.”
Filyaw served as a lieutenant in the Lake City Police Department for 13 years before the department’s restructuring and said he doesn’t desire to be become a police chief.
“Unless my mind changes,” Filyaw added.
Filyaw and his wife have been married for 29 years and they have a 23 year-old daughter.
“Do what you are told and learn your job to the best of your ability,” Filyaw said explaining the advice he would give to aspiring police officers.
Filyaw describes himself as being caring, loyal, reliable and honest.
Patrol Fran Springs started her career in law enforcement working in the Darlington Police Department.
Springs, a native of Effingham, graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 2001 and joined the Lake City Police Force in 2002.
Along the way, she also took vocational classes in fashion merchandising and works full-time as the Asset Protection Manager at Wal-Mart.
Springs, describes herself as being a people person and said she would give someone the shirt off her back.
“I excel more in people skills than anything else,” Springs said.
Springs said she likes working in the Lake City Police Department because of its family atmosphere.
“You get a lot of support from the people you work with,” Springs said.
Springs said aspiring police officers need to understand why they want to enter into law enforcement and know that everyday is a challenge.
“You can’t take things personally,” Springs said explaining that you can’t take the stress of events which occur at work at home with you.
Springs is married and the couple have three children, and is expecting an addition to the family in August.