Lawmaker concerned that law enforcement recruits are waiting months to get trained

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — State law maker Nancy Mace says it’s taking too long to train South Carolina law enforcement.

“Agencies are wasting hundred of thousands of dollars having recruits sit at a desk and not be able to get on the street,” Mace said.

She proposed an amendment Tuesday that would lift the requirement to have law enforcement train only at the Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia.

State law makers voted against the proposal.

Currently, the Criminal Justice Academy offers 16 law enforcement training courses every year, with each course lasting three months.

Mace says about 70 new law enforcement officers participate in each course, which she says isn’t a high enough number to keep up with demand.

Mace says law enforcement officers are having to wait three months or longer before space opens up in courses to get trained, delaying getting them onto the streets.

“South Carolina is one of only two states in the nation that has a single centralized academy for their police recruits,” Mace said.

“A regional approach will make us a lot more efficient,” said Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds.

He’s proposed allowing each region of South Carolina train its own officers in conjunction with the Criminal Justice Academy.

“We have the capacity, we have the facilities, we have the staff, the certified instructors, we already do training here,” Reynolds said.

Charleston police will eventually do ten weeks of training in the Lowcountry before heading to Columbia for an additional eight weeks. Video training is also being implemented to cut down on how long officers must spend away from home.

“The buck stops with me,” Reynolds said. “I own the risk. I own the outcomes. People expect me to do a good job. I also want to have the right resources and freedom and be able to invest in things like training so I make sure I drive and get the best possible outcome.”

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office confirms they currently have nine deputies awaiting an open training session at the Criminal Justice Academy.

Hanahan PD currently has two officers awaiting training.

The North Charleston Police Department has four officers in waiting.

Charleston PD says seven officers will soon attend training.

State Representative Nancy Mace said she plans to introduce another bill in the coming weeks.