Expert: William Payne - 7/16/2008

Question
Hello, sir.  My name is Bradley Mowery.  I'm currently 20 years of age, turning 21 in April/09, and I reside in Pennsylvania.  I am interested in becoming a municipal officer in the state of South Carolina, particularly in the Beaufort area, as I am looking to move to Port Royal in the upcoming months. I am curious as to what is needed for one to become a police officer in South Carolina as far as accreditations, college credits, type of academy, etc.  In Pennsylvania one must attend one of many private police academies, paying out of pocket, to receive an ACT 120 accreditation, and then he or she may apply for work in the law enforcement field, however I realize that things differ from state to state and given the modus operandi of different states, South Carolina is probably much different than Pennsylvania in this aspect, and I was hoping that you could could fill me in on what I need to accomplish to meet my goals.  

I am a very motivated individual and I do believe that law enforcement would be a very good for fit for myself.  I look forward to hearing from you, and I thank you for taking time out of your day to answer my questions.

Answer
Bradley,

Thanks for the question.

I live in the exact area you are considering. Check out the Beaufort Police Department, Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Hardeeville Police Department or Bluffton Police Department.

The aforementioned agencies are growth oriented and afford a lot of training opportunities. Stay away from the Port Royal Police Department. They are not interested in the individual officer and have little training opportunities. They also have the lowest pay rate in the area and the highest insurance premiums that you have to pay.

None of these agencies require a college degree, but if you have one, some of them will pay a percentage higher salary.

In South Carolina, you must be employed by a police agency prior to going to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.

Go to the following Web Site:

www.sccja.org

It has a lot of information concerning law enforcement in South Carolina, as well as links to a lot of police agencies in the state.

Good luck and best wishes!