Process to Become a Police Officer in South Carolina,SC

Becoming a Police Officer in South Carolina

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South Carolina is an ideal place for aspiring police officers. With nearly 12,000 law enforcement personnel employed as police and sheriff’s patrol officers across the state, South Carolina has a strong police presence to uphold the law. If you want information on how to become a police officer in South Carolina, the following information would be of great use to you:

Procedure for Becoming a South Carolina Police Officer

South Carolina has several police departments, each with an application procedure of its own. However, most departments follow a similar hiring process, which is along these lines:

Step 1: Meet the minimum requirements for employment.

Step 2: Fill out the application for employment and file it.

Step 3: Take the defined physical fitness test.

Step 4: Take the written exam.

Step 5: Clear a polygraph exam.

Step 6: Clear an oral interview.

Step 7: Attend a police training academy.

Requirements to Become a South Carolina Police Officer

Before you begin your application process for any of the police departments in South Carolina, you should make sure you meet the following minimum requirements:

• Be at least 21 years of age.
• Be a citizen of the US.
• Have a clean criminal record.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Have at least a high school diploma or a GED. Some departments in the state might have additional experience requirements. For instance, in Charleston, you would need at least 6 years of law enforcement or military experience, in addition to a high school diploma. Charleston also has other educational options such as a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree with 4 or more years of law enforcement experience.

Duration to Become a South Carolina Police Officer

To become a police officer in South Carolina, you will need to invest some time in getting the right education. This could be a 2-year long associate degree or a four-year long bachelor’s degree. The application process itself may take a few weeks. If selected, you will be required to complete a police training academy course. Once that is cleared, new recruits will need to pass a 12-week long South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy Basic Law Enforcement Certification Course. Upon completion of this course, all new sworn officers will complete a mandatory field training and evaluation program of 600 hours.

The Salary of a South Carolina Police Officer

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual mean wage for police and sheriff’s patrol officers in South Carolina was $45,160 in May 2020. The annual mean wage for the US is $70,000 which is relatively higher than that of South Carolina.
Below is a list of the top five US states in terms of salary for police and sheriff’s patrol officers:

Job Outlook

As per the data published by O*Net Online, police and sheriff’s patrol officer in South Carolina will experience 8% job growth between 2018 and 2028.

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