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Posted by: Sports2398

Is anyone familiar with any of the sheriff's departments in S.C. I'm interested in relocating to either S.C. or FL. I'm currently a certified campus p.o. in ma. I have the SSPO academy/4 yr degree in C.J. I would like any recommendations to departments in S.C. since I'm not very familiar with some of the departments down there. From my research it seems Richmond County and Lexington County Sheriff's seem pretty solid. I know Sheriffs have different responsibilities depending on where you go. FL sheriff's are seem similar to state police in ma. Any thoughts?

Respectfully,

Sports2398

Posted by: Inspector

In the south, as in the west, the sheriff's department is the primary law enforcement agency outside incoporated areas. Sheriff's departments vary broadly in their professionalism and I cannot even attempt to say which ones are better. In S.C. Richland Cty and Lexington Cty are the areas around Columbia. Both are very active departments. I know the area in question and know it is in the midst of rapid growth, which is placing pressure on the sheriff's departments. I'd suggest you check websites for departments you may have interest in and to see exactly what each is looking for. One trend I have seen as of late in the south is the unification of the sheriff's office with city departments (like Savannah and Charleston) and the formation of regionalized or "Metro" departments in an attempt to remove law enforcement from politics and to bring about improved professionalism. I'd say Columbia and Richland County may be ripe for this. One other thing to consider is South Carolina is a big military area and I know military experience counts heavily with many there.

Here's a quick example of what they want in Richland County:

To become a Deputy Sheriff, Judicial Service Officer, or Court Security Officer with Richland County, you must meet the following qualifications:

For Deputy Sheriff positions, candidate must have a four year degree from an accredited college or university, or Associate Degree and two years of previous law enforcement or military experience, or be a currently certified law enforcement officer.

For Judicial Service Officers and Court Security Officer candidates - must have High School Diploma.

Minimum of 21 years of age.

No criminal history.

Valid South Carolina driver's license with limited violations.

Drug-free background.

Satisfactory background, including financial stability.

Pass a polygraph examination, psychological exam, drug testing, physical fitness test and staff interviews.

Meet physical fitness standards. Including a pre-employment PT Test.

Successfully complete training at the Criminal Justice Academy.

Posted by: galehopeful

Generally, in Southern states, the Sheriff is the full service law enforcement agency for unincorporated parts of the county and towns that contract with the county. Many southern counties have a lot of unincorporated land in which most of the residents of the county live (ex: DeKalb County, GA: 271 square miles, 720,000 residents, more than 650,000 live in unincorporated county land), thus, the county department handles all law enforcement duties for those areas and their residents.

There are two exceptions to this rule: 1) The aforementioned combined city/county police department that covers the main city and the unincorporated county land around it and 2) A county police department. Most of the big metro Atlanta counties (Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Henry, and Clayton) have police departments to patrol the county and sheriff's departments to run the jail and all that jazz (although the sheriff's deputies do have more freedom than sheriff's deputies up in MA and get POST certification). Some counties also have a Marshal's office (armed, POST certified) with uniformed officers who work a 9-5 set-up and strictly serve summons and such (although they can back up the sheriff/police on calls if needed). Things can get slightly confusing down here...

Ultimately, it's toss up for each county you apply to as to how much power the county organization will have. However, in the southeast, you can generally count on a Sheriff's department having full power within the unicorporated county, and sometimes within the incorporated cities and towns of the county. As has been said, it varies, and you should check for each county.

You might get better info/feedback on the duties of the Lexington County Sheriff at palmettocops.com

Posted by: V Man

After 6 years at a PD in South Carolina, my best advice is to keep going south towards Florida.

But if you have any specific questions about agencies in SC, feel free to PM me. You'll probably get hired very quickly, but there's a 6-month wait (or so) before there'd be a spot for you at the state's one Academy if you needed to go through the whole thing. Check to see how much your certification can transfer over.

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