Intersection to be renamed in honor of fallen Forest Acres officer

Forest Acres wasn’t just the place where Greg Alia was killed – it’s also the place where he lived. That’s what his wife, Kassy Alia, hopes people take away from a new memorial in the works not far from Richland Mall, where the 32-year-old police officer answered his final call the morning of Sept. 30.

“This is where he grew up, where his family lives, where he lived, where he worked, where he had happiness,” she said.

Thanks to a bill that recently made its way through the state Senate, the S.C. Department of Transportation will name the intersection at Forest Drive and Beltline Boulevard in Forest Acres “Officer Gregory Thomas Alia Boulevard.”

Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, sponsored the bill in the Senate. He said putting up a marker in that spot will preserve the officer’s legacy.

“In the future, when people drive by the intersection and see the sign, they can ask the question, ‘Who was Greg Alia?’ The answer is, ‘Greg Alia is someone who gave his life protecting his community,’” Lourie said.

Kassy Alia said Lourie, along with state Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Richland, visited her husband’s parents the day he was gunned down, and that she hopes to see support for law enforcement across party lines.

“Honoring our police and acknowledging the dangers they face every day is not a political issue,” she said.