During a bomb threat in July, the Williamson Police Department had officers, but they also called for backup. “From a smaller agency standpoint, it’s making sure that we cultivate and develop the proper relationships,” Chief Tony Taylor said.Taylor also said partnerships with other cities and counties, along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, helps keep everyone safe. Last year’s 2020 census recorded over 5 million people in South Carolina. In the next 15 years, projections from the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office show the state could be looking at the state population hitting more than 6 million. As smaller towns like Williamston grow, police departments are having to serve more people, sometimes with shrinking staff. “If you look at South Carolina Law Enforcement, 75 percent of the agencies in South Carolina are less than 20, 25 person departments, and 118 agencies in South Carolina are less than 10 person departments,” said Chief Mark Keel, head of SLED. “Our role is to provide those agencies those necessary resources that they don’t have – that every small agency can’t afford to have.”Keel said his crews are getting more calls from smaller towns and larger cities. In June, he announced that South Carolina is seeing more assaults and homicides. “We’re seeing our agency being called upon by those smaller agencies for more violent crime, unfortunately,” Keel said, who stressed that SLED service shouldn’t be determined by the size of the community, “No matter where you live in South Carolina -whether it’s Greenville County, which is a wealthy county, or whether it’s Barnwell County where I was born and raised and came from, everybody gets an equal level of law enforcement service, and that’s what SLED tries to provide.”Taylor said Williamson does have experienced staff to handle a homicide, but there are other challenges.“I think one of the things is, from a smaller agency, a lot of times, we feel like we’re just a training ground,” Taylor said. “We’ll get ’em in, get ’em certified, get ’em trained, and then they move on to bigger and better things.”Over the last three years, the number of new police graduates has gone down, while the number of officers who retired, resigned or are no longer in law enforcement went up.According to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, 2019 saw 1,196 graduates. 2020 saw 825, and so far 2021 saw 819. As of Oct. 5, 2021, South Carolina saw 971 officers either retire, resign or become no longer active. That figure was lower in the last two years; 881 officers left in 2020, and 813 officers left in 2019. Not all departments report staffing shortages. Keel said SLED continues to get lots of applicants but acknowledges his staff members do not operate as local police officers or sheriff’s deputies.”Quite frankly, we’re probably seeing that candidate pool improve right now,” said Chief Keel.Taylor told WYFF News 4 Investigates Renee Wunderlich he’s worried about losing experience over time.Taylor said higher salaries and better retirement are important, and that he’s also trying to create a community environment where the next generation of officers will want to work. “Officers don’t leave all the time because of pay. A lot of times they leave because of poor supervision or poor management. They leave because it may be a poor environment that they work in. So we work hard to create an environment, so if they walk into our agency, they want training, we can get ’em training,” Taylor said. “And that they know they’ll be supported by their command staff when they’re out working.”
During a bomb threat in July, the Williamson Police Department had officers, but they also called for backup.
“From a smaller agency standpoint, it’s making sure that we cultivate and develop the proper relationships,” Chief Tony Taylor said.
Taylor also said partnerships with other cities and counties, along with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, helps keep everyone safe.
Last year’s 2020 census recorded over 5 million people in South Carolina. In the next 15 years, projections from the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office show the state could be looking at the state population hitting more than 6 million.
As smaller towns like Williamston grow, police departments are having to serve more people, sometimes with shrinking staff.
“If you look at South Carolina Law Enforcement, 75 percent of the agencies in South Carolina are less than 20, 25 person departments, and 118 agencies in South Carolina are less than 10 person departments,” said Chief Mark Keel, head of SLED. “Our role is to provide those agencies those necessary resources that they don’t have – that every small agency can’t afford to have.”
Keel said his crews are getting more calls from smaller towns and larger cities. In June, he announced that South Carolina is seeing more assaults and homicides.
“We’re seeing our agency being called upon by those smaller agencies for more violent crime, unfortunately,” Keel said, who stressed that SLED service shouldn’t be determined by the size of the community, “No matter where you live in South Carolina -whether it’s Greenville County, which is a wealthy county, or whether it’s Barnwell County where I was born and raised and came from, everybody gets an equal level of law enforcement service, and that’s what SLED tries to provide.”
Taylor said Williamson does have experienced staff to handle a homicide, but there are other challenges.
“I think one of the things is, from a smaller agency, a lot of times, we feel like we’re just a training ground,” Taylor said. “We’ll get ’em in, get ’em certified, get ’em trained, and then they move on to bigger and better things.”
Over the last three years, the number of new police graduates has gone down, while the number of officers who retired, resigned or are no longer in law enforcement went up.
According to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, 2019 saw 1,196 graduates. 2020 saw 825, and so far 2021 saw 819.
As of Oct. 5, 2021, South Carolina saw 971 officers either retire, resign or become no longer active. That figure was lower in the last two years; 881 officers left in 2020, and 813 officers left in 2019.
Not all departments report staffing shortages.
Keel said SLED continues to get lots of applicants but acknowledges his staff members do not operate as local police officers or sheriff’s deputies.
“Quite frankly, we’re probably seeing that candidate pool improve right now,” said Chief Keel.
Taylor told WYFF News 4 Investigates Renee Wunderlich he’s worried about losing experience over time.
Taylor said higher salaries and better retirement are important, and that he’s also trying to create a community environment where the next generation of officers will want to work.
“Officers don’t leave all the time because of pay. A lot of times they leave because of poor supervision or poor management. They leave because it may be a poor environment that they work in. So we work hard to create an environment, so if they walk into our agency, they want training, we can get ’em training,” Taylor said. “And that they know they’ll be supported by their command staff when they’re out working.”