A Learning Experience

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Speakers Corner

A Learning Experience

Tuesday, 12 May 2009 11:07

Our resident limey explores his inner lawman...

I am uncertain whence stems my fascination with being a sheriff. Perhaps it is from my childhood in England and the story of Robin Hood and his battles in Sherwood Forrest with the Sheriff of Nottingham. Or perhaps it is from the year 1972 when, for some reason still unknown to me, I was made an Honorary Sheriff of New Haven County in Connecticut, the state of my residence at that time. No matter, suffice to say that I was intrigued to see an announcement in the local press inviting applications to attend the Citizens Police Academy (C.P.A) course starting in February of this year.
     It is ironic, given my place of birth, that the term 'sheriff' has its origins in old English history. King Alfred, he of cake burning fame, appointed in 890 AD an individual upon whom he bestowed the title 'Reeve' (guardian). Alfred also determined geographical jurisdictions over which the Reeves had authority, these were called 'shires'. These two terms, shire and reeve, became denigrated over time into sheriff.
    John Legraft was the first Sheriff in Beaufort County having been appointed by the Legislature in 1769. Little is known about subsequent Sheriffs until after the War Between the States but since then twenty men have held the office.
    Ed McTeer, after whom the bridge connecting Lady's Island to Port Royal is named, served 10 terms from 1925 until 1964, a record unlikely to be beaten.
    All holders of the Office must have been active police officers of some experience. The present Sheriff, P.J. Tanner, is no exception, having become a Uniform Patrol Officer at the age of 21 after graduating from the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy. He was first elected in 1998 and took office in 1999. He is now into his third term and plans to contest further elections. He commands over 250 deputies and has become a very popular, successful and innovative holder of the Office.
     The idea for the Citizens Police Academy also has its origins in England. It was in the County of Devon that the local 'bobbys' decided to start a school in an effort to improve understanding and relations between the police and the public. All credit is due to Beaufort County for picking up on this idea in 2002 and to veteran policeman Captain T.W. Smith, aspiring comedienne Staff Sergeant Mike Jennings and Sergeant William Angelo for managing the course now.
     It is nigh impossible, given the limitations of the space afforded me, to do justice to the myriad tasks performed by our Sheriff’s Office. As I came to learn over the course of ten weeks many involve great danger, some no little tedium and some a touch of the bizarre. I will recount a few of my most memorable experiences from the course but by so doing trust that I will not diminish, in any way, those aspects left unmentioned.
     The 10 classes are held on a weekly basis, most at the Sheriff’s Offices. They start at 6 pm and last for up to three hours during which time refreshments, to suit most tastes, are served. Students represent all segments of our community. I am told the oldest to date was a lady in her nineties. Criminology college students gain credits for attending the course. Subjects range from Crime Prevention, from which I learned that I, like most people, make life too easy for those with larceny in mind, to an Overview of the Solicitors Office (The Solicitor is often called District Attorney in other jurisdictions). Without exception all the subjects were well presented.
It is quite an eye opener to discover the extent and variety of crimes and problems in our seemingly tranquil Beaufort County. I now know that if it were not for the dedication and excellence of our Sheriff’s Department the average citizen, such as yours truly, would not be able to rest as peacefully and in such a state of blissful ignorance as we do.
     I am bound to say that the day I spent with a deputy in his car (front seat I hasten to add), driving around St Helena was probably my favorite experience. All was relatively quiet and my fantasy of high speed chases and shoot outs was not realized. Thank goodness, as in reality as well as dictate I would have been a useless partner.
     The Good Witness Review exercise was a revelation at how bad each of us students were at being good witnesses. We were shown a short video in which a woman was kidnapped at a local shopping mall. Our subsequent written descriptions of various aspects of the crime, being the information which the police would want from witnesses, proved how inattentive we all were. The victim ranged from a somberly dressed matron to a 'with- it' young lass. Her car was anything between a small saloon to a large SUV. Our description of the kidnapper was also such as to leave our law enforcement friends with a daunting task of identification! Staff Sergeant Jennings' humorous review of our pathetic answers was good enough for a comedy club act.
     One of the classes was held out at the range near the Marine Air Station. Here we were allowed to fire actual pistols and participate in a 'Walk in Our Shoes Simunition' exercise where we students played the part of the police and the instructors the role of the bad guys. For obvious reasons they gave us paint ball guns rather than real weapons!
     Another memorable experience that evening was the DUI driving simulation. Special goggles created a range of impairment from just at the legal blood alcohol content to severely over. I was amazed at my own inability to drive a golf cart over a marked course when at the legal limit. At a greater degree of intoxication I found it nigh impossible to walk a straight line. All told a very sobering experience!
     An evening at the camp site out near Distant Island was also fun and educational. Following an excellent lecture on methods and equipment used at a crime scene we were given the opportunity to 'play' detective and process a mock murder scene. I opted to do some finger printing, a more messy task than I had imagined!
     Prior to our “graduation,” a somewhat euphemistic term, given that we were not required to sit an exam, but nonetheless an enjoyable gathering where we received permanent reminders of our 10 weeks from Sheriff Tanner, we spent an interesting Saturday at the range. We were able to bring guests, and I took two of my grandchildren (ages 10 & 12) to witness a variety of demonstrations ranging from K9 dog handling to a SWAT team hostage rescue. A good time was had by all, and from a personal standpoint, the opinion which I had formed over the 10 weeks of the professionalism, dedication and 'esprit d corps' of our sheriffs was reinforced.
I hope that I might have stimulated the interest of some of you good readers to attend a future CPA. There will be one starting in September so keep an eye on the local paper or call Staff Sergeant Mike Jennings (843 4703-287) for more information.

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