Spartanburg has a new top cop, and he started at the bottom of the ladder nearly four decades ago. The city announced that Major Art D. Littlejohn will become the next chief of the Spartanburg Police Department, capping a 38-year career that began when he joined the force as a patrol officer in 1988.
City officials confirmed the appointment following a national search launched after Chief Alonzo Thompson announced his retirement in March 2026, according to FOX Carolina News. A selection committee evaluated candidates through multiple interviews, screenings, and skill evaluations before making its final recommendations to the city manager, per the same outlet. City Manager Chris Story said Littlejohn was selected for his judgment, ethical and responsible policing, experience, and commitment to excellent service, adding that he believes Littlejohn is the right leader to guide the department through its next evolution.
Littlejohn's résumé inside the department reads like a tour of nearly every corner of policing in Spartanburg. He has served as a patrol lieutenant, a crime prevention sergeant, an officer in the housing authority division, a lieutenant over the office of professional standards, a D.A.R.E. instructor, a community relations and crime prevention officer, a community oriented policing coordinator, and most recently major over the patrol services bureau, the station's report notes.
A Career Rooted in Community Programs
Beyond patrol assignments, Littlejohn has been a visible advocate for social-intervention approaches within the department. He represented the police department in Spartanburg's joint homelessness response efforts, including the Homeless Court and the HEART dedicated street outreach team, according to the City of Spartanburg. He also served as a primary departmental spokesperson for the Lethality Assessment Program, an 11-question on-scene tool officers use to evaluate domestic violence homicide risk and connect high-risk victims with crisis services, per the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.
For his part, Littlejohn said his responsibility as chief will be to use his knowledge and experience to continue moving the department forward. He said he brings a deep understanding of the department, its people, neighborhoods, and the challenges of a growing city — a nod to the population boom reshaping Spartanburg's policing demands.
Inheriting Growth, Low Crime, and Officer Vacancies
Littlejohn steps into the role at a moment of contrasts. Spartanburg recorded its lowest overall crime rates in nearly three decades during 2025, with city officials attributing part of the decline to stronger neighborhood participation, according to the Post and Courier. FOX Carolina News reports that Spartanburg has significantly less crime than it had a generation ago, even as the city keeps growing and changing.
That growth is substantial. U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in March 2026 ranked the Spartanburg metro area as the third-fastest-growing metro in the country, with Spartanburg County's population climbing 3 percent in a single year to reach 380,857 in 2025, the Post and Courier reported. Inside city limits, the population reached an estimated 40,261 in 2026, a 4.29% increase since the 2020 census, while local business license and commercial tax revenues rose more than 9% in the fiscal year, according to the City of Spartanburg.
Managing that expansion falls to a department that is currently short-staffed. The Spartanburg Police Department operates with 117 sworn officers against an authorized force of 128, along with 19 non-sworn employees and four part-time school crossing guards, per figures published by the Municipal Association of South Carolina. How quickly those 11 vacancies get filled amid competitive Upstate law enforcement pay remains an open question.
A Bigger Budget and a New Headquarters
Littlejohn will also oversee a growing budget. The city's fiscal year 2026–2027 operating plan allocates $16,817,734 for the Police Department, up from $15.65 million the previous fiscal year, according to City of Spartanburg budget documents. The department is also preparing to move into a new headquarters funded by a 1 percent countywide capital sales tax that voters approved in 2017.
The leadership change closes out a 12-year chapter under Thompson, who previously spent 30 years with the Winston-Salem Police Department in North Carolina before taking command in Spartanburg in February 2014, per the Post and Courier. Littlejohn's ascension follows recent high-profile cases handled by the department, including the arrest of a home invasion suspect earlier this month and a July armed robbery investigation that ended in a highway chase and crash.
As Spartanburg keeps adding residents and commercial development, city officials and Littlejohn himself have both pointed to the same underlying challenge: the department needs to continue adapting and innovating to keep pace with a city that no longer resembles the one he joined as a young patrol officer in 1988.
