To be considered for employment as a police officer, ALL applicants:

• Must be a United States citizen by birth or naturalization
• Must be 21 years of age
• Must be a high school graduate (diploma or GED)
• Must have a driver's license issued in the United States and be able to obtain a South Carolina driver's license if hired
• Must be of good moral character as demonstrated by past and present behaviors
  • Must not possess racist or sexist ideologies
  • Must not have engaged in acts of domestic violence even if no arrest was made
  • Must not have engaged in habitual or serious criminal behavior, even if no arrest was made
  • Must not have intentionally accessed internet sites for the purpose of viewing child pornography
  • Must not have intentionally violated copyright or royalty provisions by downloading material from the internet
  • Must not have used the anonymity of the internet to harass third parties
• Must have no criminal convictions
  • Convictions for minor misdemeanors may be considered based on age at time of offense, time passed since offense, demonstrated behavior since offense, and agency demands.
• Must have a driving record that demonstrates consistent compliance with traffic laws
  • No conviction for driving under the influence (DUI/DWI) within past 5 years
  • No conviction for hit and run within past 5 years
  • No conviction for driving under suspension (DUS) in past five years
  • No demonstrated pattern of willful disregard for traffic laws (gross violations or excessive accumulated violations)
• Must be free of illegal drug use and/or activity 
  • Must not have bought, sold, transported, manufactured, or ingested cocaine, heroin, LSD, non-prescribed steroids, methamphetamine, or any other illegal substance 
  • Must not have ingested controlled substances prescribed to another
  • Must not have bought controlled substances prescribed for another for your own use or sold to another a controlled substance prescribed to you
• Must have demonstrated responsibility and integrity in personal financial affairs
  • Must be current in financial obligations (consumer credit reports will be evaluated based on personal situations)
  • Must not be in default on any student loan(s)
• Must be willing to fully disclose prior behaviors and submit to a polygraph examination conducted by a licensed examiner
• Must pass an entry level knowledge assessment test with a score of at least 80%
• Must be willing to submit to a medical examination conducted by a licensed physician if offered a position
• Must be willing to submit to a mental fitness examination conducted by a licensed psychologist if offered a position
• Must be willing to spend 9 weeks in Columbia, SC, at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy ( SCCJA) to obtain certification if offered a position (non-SC certified applicants only)
• Must be willing to work rotating shifts (days, evenings, and nights), holidays, weekends, and in inclement weather
• Must be available for emergency recall in the event of a disaster or declared emergency
• Must not have experienced sustained misconduct while employed with other law enforcement agencies to include but not limited to (reviewed case by case):
  • Excessive use of force
  • Unlawful arrest and/or detention
  • Sexual harassment
  • Falsifying reports, statements, etc.
  • Excessive driving complaints or at-fault collisions