“It was such fun,” said Georgetown County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) Deputy Tiffany Kinloch describing the afternoon she spent with the children pictured in this month’s photo contest winner.

As the GCSO’s Community Resource Officer, Deputy Kinloch was representing the department at the Southern Georgetown Library’s Health and Wellness Fair in August of 2022. Held to welcome the children back to school, it was an opportunity for young people and their parents to meet with representatives from the local police, hospital, Head Start, and other groups.

Making a Big Impression on the Youngest Members of the Community

“I was organizing my table when the two boys asked to look at the coloring books, fingerprinting cards, and other things. Then they started asking me a lot of questions about my job. One of the boys said he wanted to be a police officer, but the other wanted to be a scientist, so I told them about forensic police work.

“I also told them that they could talk to a police officer and ask questions any time they saw one. Then, after I explained my world to them, they described their world, telling me all about the video games they played.

“When other children came up to my table, these boys told them what they’d learned about police work, so I gave them badges and deputized them as GCSO information officers,” she added with a laugh.

As a Community Resource Officer, Deputy Kinloch is so well known locally that a local artist painted her portrait, which is now hanging on a wall in the library along with those of other people who have made a difference in Georgetown County.

But her caring and concern are typical of all who work for the GCSO and reflects the department’s overall approach to community service. Said Sheriff Carter Weaver, “The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office has a goal that every deputy will be trusted and beloved by the community, and everybody in the community is encouraged to approach police with questions and concerns.”

Comprehensive Services, from SWAT to Marine Patrol and Detention Services

An agency of 125 members, including 99 deputies, the GCSO serves approximately 64,000 residents of this county bordering the Atlantic Ocean about 50 miles north of Charleston. Its largest division is law enforcement, which includes patrol, investigations, and specialty units such as SWAT and marine patrol units. The GCSO also manages Georgetown County’s detention center and provides 911 services for all police departments and fire and rescue services in the county.

Its community support services are just as varied. The GCSO supports many events for children, including a December Shopping with the Sheriff outing, in which GCSO volunteers take kids in need to pick out gifts for themselves, and a county-wide Santa Claus tour. In the spring, a department pickup truck takes the Easter Bunny to visit all the county neighborhoods.

The agency also has a School Resource Officer program which places deputies in 16 county schools, and GCSO deputies teach driver safety to teenagers. In the summer, the Sheriff's Sno-Kone truck is a big hit with all ages.

But their community services are much more than fun and games. The GSCO also supports the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is held every April to prevent unused medications being stolen, misused, or abused.

Caring for the Young, Old, and Most Vulnerable

Another program is Project Lifesaver, which is designed to prevent "at risk wanderers" who suffer from Alzheimer's, autism, dementia, or other cognitive disabilities from getting lost. The GCSO provides transmitters to caregivers who enroll in the program and request the tracking technology to keep their loved ones safe.

The department also reaches out to elderly members of the community to ensure their well-being. Said Deputy Kinloch, who visits nursing homes to teach physical and financial safety, “I teach seniors about online scams and how to protect themselves and their bank accounts. I also make sure that they’re aware of the fraud cases in our community, like the recent one in which a scammer got hold of a church directory. Posing as the pastor, he emailed parishioners asking for donations.”

Fighting Fentanyl and Opioid Addiction

To enhance the safety of all members of the community and encourage dialogue with the agency, Sheriff Weaver has also started the Sheriff’s Community Forums. The first of these, which was focused on the opioid and fentanyl crisis in Georgetown County, was held in October of 2022 in two different county locations and was also live streamed.

Attendees heard from a panel of experts from the medical community, law enforcement, the school district, and addiction treatment who described in detail the damage that these drugs are inflicting on the Georgetown County community.

Said Heather Pelham of the GCSO Public Information Office, “Sheriff Weaver laid it all out and let people know what is really going on. The forum got a huge audience turnout as well as a lot of online viewers who wrote many comments online during the livestream. Some of those were heartbreaking, talking about friends or family members who’d overdosed and died. It was shocking how many people had been affected by these drugs. We also got offers from nonprofits who want to help us in this effort.”

The next forum will discuss solutions from law enforcement and other angles; provide information on treatment and prevention; and describe how the judicial system, clergy, legislators, and families can take action to stop the fentanyl and opioid epidemic.

“It is our mission to reduce crime and the fear of crime,” Sheriff Weaver said. “Community programs assure our citizens that we are here, let them know what we’re doing for them, and update them on matters that have an impact on quality
of life.”

Images courtesy of Georgetown County Sheriff's Office.

Faye C. Elkins
Sr. Technical Writer
COPS Office

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