Captain Bobby Shuler commands the Uniform Patrol Division which includes Patrol, K-9, and DUI Enforcement.
He also serves as the Special Response Team Commander. The Investigation and Support Services Branch consists of 38 Sworn Deputies, 4 Animal Control Officers, and 14 civilians.
Patrol Division provides 24-hour coverage throughout the county. Power shifts were created to increase the number of deputies during the hours of high call volume. Great strides have been made to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of deputies. Deputies are provided with laptops in their vehicles, cell phones for connectivity to the laptops, patrol rifles, tasers, dash cameras, body worn cameras, improved hand-held radios and fingerprint kits. Supervisors and some deputies are equipped with fingerprint readers to assist in identifying suspects in the field.
The K-9 Team utilizes specially trained canines to support law enforcement activities in patrol, narcotic interdiction, explosives detection and search/apprehension operations. The K-9 unit has nine K-9 deputies and nine canines. Additionally, the unit has three bloodhounds. In 2018, the K-9 unit logged 5,000 responses to include back up for persons, K-9 unit demos, and narcotics detection.
DUI (Driving Under the Influence) Enforcement deputies provide proactive enforcement of DUI laws and provide DUI prevention and safe driving presentations. DUI Enforcement Deputies are grant-funded through the Target Zero Program [link to main Target Zero Program for state], a statewide comprehensive safety plan that provides a coordinated framework toward eliminating traffic deaths and reducing severe injuries on South Carolina roads. The DUI team was created to address collisions and fatalities due to impaired drivers. Our DUI deputies regularly participate in operations Buckle Up SC and Sober or Slammer.
The Sheriff’s Office also has a grant funded part-time prosecutor to handle the agency’s DUI arrests.
Also seized were:
169 arrests in 2017-2018