Oconeean to lead three-state law enforcement group

An Oconee sheriff’s officer is the new leader of a three-state group that helps serve as a network for law enforcement in parts of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.  Investigator David Smith was elected in December as president of the Tri-State Law Enforcement Association.  Smith is a 30-year officer who started his career in 1987 as a Seneca policeman.  The Tri-State Law Enforcement Association is made up of counties that border Oconee County in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina.  The meetings are held to discuss law enforcement issues, to network and to share cases and information to help all agencies solve and prevent crimes in their respective counties and cities. The association traces its roots back to the mid-1960’s, according to retired Oconee Sheriff Earl Holcombe, when a group of officers got together for coffee to discuss a string of robberies that had occurred across state lines.  The association grew from there.