Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office receives Agency of the Year Award for 5th consecutive year

In a ceremony held on April 6, 2016 at the Seawell’s Restaurant in Columbia, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office received the Agency of the Year award (for departments with 51-100 officers) for “excelling in the area of DUI arrests, DUI victim services, and under-age drinking programs in SC during 2015.” This award was presented by the SC Department of Public Safety and the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs. This was the fifth year in a row that the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office has received this award.

In addition to the agency award, Deputy Jarrett Greenway was named Officer of the Year (for an agency employing 51-100 officers), for his noteworthy efforts in the area of DUI arrests, DUI victim’s services, underage drinking programs and work ethic. Also, every member of the KCSO Traffic Unit received individual awards for their roles in taking drunk drivers off the roads in Kershaw County.

“Receiving these awards, collectively and individually, is a great reflection on the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office and Kershaw County as a whole. Receiving it five years in a row is unprecedented and should make our county very proud,” said Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews. “If our citizens were aware of what transpires on our roads after dark, they would have a much greater appreciation for what these deputies do to prevent drunk driving tragedies.”

Since its inception in late 2011, the KCSO Traffic Unit has taken 843 drunk or otherwise impaired drivers off Kershaw County roads which undoubtedly has saved many lives and prevented countless life altering injuries. The traffic unit consists of 4 deputies paid by Kershaw County as well as 2 deputies who are fully funded by a federal highway safety grant. They patrol all Kershaw County roads including I-20 and over 90% of their DUI arrests are made on secondary roads. The traffic unit is frequently called upon to back up the uniformed patrol division and has made numerous felony arrests, apprehended fugitives and seized narcotics and illegal weapons.

The KCSO Traffic Unit is just one of several divisions within the sheriff’s office that focus their efforts on keeping the public safe. Since more people lose their lives and are seriously injured in traffic collisions than are killed or injured in all other crimes combined, the traffic unit plays a very important role in the overall public safety picture.