TCTC Police attain SC Law Enforcement Accreditation

The Easley Progress, S.C.
·2 min read

Jan. 17—UPSTATE — Tri-County Technical College (TCTC) Campus Police officially attained South Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation (SCLEA) on Dec. 8, making TCTC the first technical college in the S.C. Technical College System to achieve this gold-standard status.

In addition, TCTC is currently the smallest state-accredited police agency in the state.

SCLEA is the official South Carolina accrediting body and since 1999 it has been recognized as a means of maintaining the highest standards of law enforcement accreditation.

TCTC Police Chief Marcus Guess, command staff members Sgt. Billy Albert, Sgt. Shaun Chastain and Sgt. Jeremiah Vissage, administrative assistant Linda Conwell and Chief of Staff Dan Cooper traveled to Columbia last month where the department was recognized as an accredited law enforcement agency.

John Tucker, SCLEA chairman, made the presentation. Also in attendance were Barry Faile, sheriff of Lancaster County and SCLEA board member; Jared Bruder, executive director of the S.C. Sheriff's Association; and Van Henson, of the S.C. Association of Counties.

"This is a momentous occasion," TCTC President Galen DeHay said January 13 at a College-wide celebration of the accreditation. "I'm proud of our campus police who make our campuses a safe working and learning environment for students, faculty, staff and guests."

TCTC Police join a group of 29 law enforcement agencies from all over the state who are recognized for meeting these state-of the-art standards.

With Sgt. Albert overseeing the process over the last year, the department engaged in rigorous processes to meet standards that are considered best practices in each area of law enforcement that include management, administration, operations and support services.

The South Carolina accreditation process is a five-phase process, consisting of application; self-assessment; on-site assessment; council review; and maintain compliance and reaccreditation.

"Obtaining the South Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation was a joint effort that included all members of the command staff," said Chief Guess. "We broke down the most important areas of our law enforcement duties, and each team member put in numerous hours providing information that met SCLEA requirements. I applaud the hard work and great team effort that was exhibited by the command staff and other officers."

"This is a tremendous accomplishment," said Chairman Tucker. "There are 330 law enforcement agencies in South Carolina. Of those, 55 are SCLEA-accredited, nationally or state, and 41 are in the self-assessment process. I compliment Chief Guess and his team on their outstanding work within this time limit. I'm very proud. You set an example."

The SCLEA Accreditation Program is a voluntary initiative for professional improvement.