Sheriff Wayne DeWitt

Welcome to the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office

Wayne DeWitt, Sheriff

Mission statement
The mission of the Sheriff’s Office is to make a priority of protecting the lives and property of those who reside in or visit Berkeley County. We will achieve this mission using every resource available to us, acting with compassion towards all innocent victims, and with fairness we will pursue those who are accused.

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office is proud to serve the citizens of Berkeley County. Our highly qualified officers not only work hard to keep our communities safe, but they also participate in a number of community service events each year. We hope you will never need us, but if you ever do, count on us to be there for you. If we can ever be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to call!

We have a number of Divisions within our agency:

The Patrol Division consists of four squads of deputies who alternately patrol the entire county in twelve-hour shifts. The Patrol Division responds to all calls dispatched by 911 operators. Call (843) 719-4438 for information concerning Patrol.

The Investigations Division is comprised of a team of highly trained detectives who investigate violent crimes and property crimes. Normal office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, however, the designated detective on duty is available to respond in the evening and on weekends. Detectives can be reached by calling (843) 719-4439.

School Affairs Unit is comprised of seven (7) School Resource Officers who are assigned in four high schools and three middle schools in Berkeley County. The deputies assigned to this unit receive specialized training so that they are able to complete the triad concept of the School Resource Officer (SRO): first and foremost they are law enforcement officers, secondly they serve as teachers in the areas of law related education and drug, alcohol and violence education, and lastly they are available to counsel with students, parents and staff as needed. The Berkeley County School District currently funds the deputies assigned to this unit. If you have any questions or comments regarding this program please contact Capt. M. Blanchard at (843) 719-4413.

The Narcotics Division investigates drug activity and is available to receive information 24 hours a day. They can be reached by calling any of the above numbers, or during normal working hours, by calling (843) 719-4439 or the Drug Tip Line at (843) 719-4692.

Selective Enforcement Team (SET) is a team of deputies who patrol targeted areas in the county which have been identified as high crime areas, or areas which have unsafe traffic patterns. Information regarding the Selective Enforcement Team can be obtained by calling (843) 719-4439.

Special Response Team (SRT) consists of highly trained deputies who respond to crisis situations such as manhunts, armed robberies and hostage situations. They are activated by the Command Staff when the need arises. The team members are trained in special weapons use and in hostage negotiations.

K-9 Unit Each patrol squad has a canine officer and trained canine. They are available to search for contraband, guns, evidence and missing persons.

The Duty Office is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. This office is comprised of six (6) civilian duty officers on rotating shifts. The Duty Officers may take reports over the phone or in person that are non-emergent in nature. Duty Officer’s are also responsible for the monitoring of the NCIC Crime Computer, Repossessed and Towed Vehicle Logs, NCIC Validations and switchboard duties. This office can be reached by calling (843) 719-4412 and (843) 719-4424.

The Records Office is located in the Sheriff’s Office and is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office will provide copies of incident reports when requested in person. Picture identification is required when requesting incident reports. There is a $2 fee for each report requested, however, reports are provided free of charge to the victim of a crime. Reports are available to the public after 1:00 p.m. the business day following the day an incident is reported. This office is responsible for the accurateness and storage of all documents relating to incidents occurring within the county. The retention period for incident reports is five years. For additional information regarding incident reports, please call (843) 719-4231.

Sexual Offender Registry – One deputy is responsible for the compilation and verification of the Sexual Offenders residing within Berkeley County. If you have any questions or desire further information you may contact Deputy Fred Thornton at (843) 719-4675 or Capt. M. Blanchard at (843) 719-4413 or you can make inquires to the Sexual Offender Registry at http://services.sled.sc.gov/sor/

The Training Office is located at the Berkeley County Training Center on Reid Hill Road. These new County facilities are used for training Berkeley County law enforcement officers, fire fighters and EMS personnel. Deputies receive training from in-house certified instructors as well as Academy training via satellite. This training is required in order to meet State certification requirements. For more information, call (843) 719-4351 or (843) 719-4553.